Familiar Taste Of Poison
by KelseyJane
Summary: This is a story of love, betrayal, and acceptance between different races of vampire. Follow us through multiple points-of-view as we introduce the Cullen family to a very special new vampire, and as Jasper and Emmett are given the chance to change their lives, and themselves, forever. (NOT A SLASH FIC.)
1. Drink The Wine My Darling

**EmPOV**

"Maybe it's nothing." Esme said while pacing up and down the living room. My family wasn't easily flustered but there was a car traveling quickly up the driveway. Normally, I'd be all for it; the more the merrier. But, Alice was still out hunting so she couldn't warn us of any danger and, so far, Edward couldn't _hear_ who was coming. Carlisle's brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. Edward threw him a few quick glances as he rolled possibilities around in his head. _Did Carlisle know this person?_

"I don't want to take any chances. If they get out of the car, I will face them, but I want you all to be quiet. I don't want them to know you are here, so whatever happens, do not make yourselves known."

"Why? We can take them on! We're fighters not pansies!" I yelled as I stood up, looking at my brothers. Jasper nodded. Edward instinctively wrapped his arm around breakable Bella, looking toward the stairs and the safety of his room.

"No!" Carlisle said sharply.

"Carlisle, what's going on? What have you not told us?" Esme touched his arm, concern etched deeply into her face. A look full of guilt crossed Carlisle's face and Edward's head snapped in his direction before turning back to Bella.

"Just please trust me, okay?" Carlisle cupped Esme's face. "Please, all of you make yourselves scarce. Do not come out until I say. Promise me?"

"I promise." Esme whispered. _She never says no to him._ Carlisle gave her a quick kiss and she disappeared into the backyard, probably to wait for Alice. I locked eyes with Jasper and we nodded tightly. _Like hell we were just going to sit by_. At the first sign of trouble, we would be right there. _No one_ messes with our family.

"Now!" Carlisle commanded. Reluctantly, on my part at least, we flew up the stairs. Edward took Bella into his room and closed the door, locking it behind them. Jasper and I stood at the top of the stairs, shoulder to shoulder, ready for anything. Rosalie came back out of our room and stood behind me.

"Emmett, don't be stupid!" she hissed. She tried to grab onto my arm, but I shrugged her off.

"It's fine, babe. You know they can't touch me!" I flipped up the collar of my polo shirt, smirking. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. We heard the car outside come to a stop just in front of the house and someone got out, their heels clicking across the pavement. _God, I love heels._ _So hot_. I glanced down at my wife's feet. She was wearing my favorite heels; bright pink and super high. _They're even better when they're the only thing she's wearing_. _Like that one night when she_… Jasper nudged me and Edward cleared his throat from his room. I sighed, leaning against the wall. There was hushed whispering downstairs, too low for even us to hear. I heard Carlisle's famous exaggerated huff before he spoke at full volume.

"It is alright, Alice. Everyone, you can come down now. Everything is alright. It seems an old friend has come for a visit. An _unannounced_ visit…" Carlisle called. Edward slowly emerged from his room with Bella in tow, wearing a completely sour face. _Such an emo._ I swallowed a laugh as his face got even more serious.

"This is no laughing matter, Emmett. I can't _hear_ her!" he hissed in a low voice that Bella couldn't hear. He guided her carefully down the stairs, brooding the whole way. Rosalie huffed and shoved her way past me and Jasper, heading down the stairs after the lovebirds. I bit my lip and pinched her ass. It looked delicious in the jeans she was wearing. _I'd just love to_- She turned and smacked my hand away, shaking her head as she walked down the stairs. Jasper's chest shook with silent laughter. I shoved him against the opposite wall, but he caught himself on the railing and punched me in the arm. I smiled as we headed down the stairs.

As I hit the landing, I first noticed something shiny. Patent leather black high-heels. They were higher than Rosalie's, and preceded legs that looked a mile long, clad in the skinniest skinny jeans known to man. _Damn._ When I stared a little harder, I figured out the height was an illusion. She was 5'5", _max. _She had on a gray shirt that was pretty much see-thru. _Daddy likey!_ I looked up to see a nice rack, at _least_ double-D's, with a bit of cleavage showing. Her voluptuous chest was accented by a few layers of shiny silver necklaces. Finally, I looked up to her face to find her looking right back at me with incredible gray eyes. Her face was framed with long and flowing dark hair, similar to Bella's, but with that quality of vampire perfectness. She looked at me appreciatively and I hitched my chin up just a bit.

Rosalie growled and the girl snapped her gaze at my wife. It was like she had flipped a switch; alluring to deadly in a hot second. "Did you really just growl at me?" For such a small thing, she was quite intimidating. Rosalie glanced over at me and glared before crossing her arms defensively. Completely ignoring the girl, she addressed Carlisle.

"I don't like the way she's looking at my husband, Carlisle. Who is she? I don't like her." she spat. Looking between the two, my mouth started to water. To get both my Rosie and this girl alone, I would be the happiest man alive. Well, dead, actually. _Early birthday present?_ God, I hope so.

"I heard that, missy," _Heard what?_ I was so busy fantasizing I must have missed something. Rose continued. "I don't know who you think you are, but..." she stopped as the girl walked towards her. Yes! Yes! Yes! _Please baby just this once! I will be good forever, I swear!_

"_Missy_? You are going to shut up now and sit down like a good little girl." she commanded. I almost laughed. _As hot as you are, there is no way...Wait, what is she doing?_ Rosalie turned around and sat on the couch, not speaking another word.

Marry me.

I looked between her and Rose. "How _on earth_ did you do that?"

**LilyPOV**

"Knock, knock." I whispered, smiling at the man standing in the door. The house was almost completely hidden by the trees. I stretched my arms above my head, stiff from having driven almost non-stop for four days.

"I wondered if that could be you." His voice was equally low, and sad. His platinum blonde hair shined as he walked inside and sank into the couch.

"Yes, just little old me. Hello, Carlisle." I closed the door softly behind us and followed him into the open living room.

"Carlisle, I'm so sorry!" A younger-looking girl with small features scurried into the room. "I didn't see her coming! I thought it was going to be Maria, messing with my visions again." Her voice was low as well, and I had to wonder just who we were hiding from.

"It is alright, Alice. Everyone, you can come down now. Everything is alright. It seems an old friend has come for a visit. An _unannounced_ visit…" He lowered his voice again before turning to the girl. "Alice, she and I have only ever been friends." If your vision wasn't good enough, you wouldn't have noticed him narrow his eyes at me for a split second, as if daring me to contradict him, before turning to his family members. One came in from outside, immediately standing at Carlisle's side. Others trailed down the stairs. Boy with bronze hair, clutching the hand of a cute brunette. A tall blonde with heels almost as high as mine descended the stairs next. I barely noticed them, though, because my eyes were glued on the last two to arrive. _It has to be them. _One was tall, buff, and broad-shouldered with dark hair. The other was a blonde and had more of a swimmer's build; smaller yet muscles in all the right places.

Someone growled and I glanced over with my eyebrow raised. "Did you really just growl at me?"

The tall blonde made an ugly face at the dark-haired man and crossed her arms. She ignored my question and spoke to Carlisle. "I don't like the way she's looking at my husband, Carlisle. Who is she? I don't like her."

"This one could be trouble," I muttered.

"I heard that, missy. I don't know who you think you are, but..."

She stopped speaking when I walked right up to her, staring into her eyes. "Missy? You are going to shut up now and sit down like a good little girl."

She obediently turned around and sat down on the couch behind her. The man with dark hair looked at me in awe. "How on earth did you do that?"

I was about to explain when I realized something. I paused, turning on my heel to face Carlisle. "You never told them, _did you_?"

Glancing at the woman standing next to him, he cleared his throat. "No, I have not. Liliana let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife Esme, and our children. That is Alice, Edward, and Bella. She is human, leave her alone," I raised my hands, palms out, in a gesture of innocence. "That is Jasper, Emmett, and the one you compelled is Rosalie."

I nodded. "Pleasure," I said as I sauntered over to Emmett, tracing my finger along his back as I walked. Next to him, I leaned in close behind Jasper. "What if I told you that you could be stronger, faster, and all of these could disappear?" I traced my finger up his cold arm, hitting each visible bite mark.

"Hey!" Alice cried out.

"Relax, little one. I'm not going to take him if he is unwilling." I winked. Jasper turned, looking at me over his shoulder.

"Alice is my mate, darlin'." he drawled in a deep southern voice. I shuddered. I missed those golden southern days.

"For now." I whispered so he couldn't hear. I fingered a piece of his hair as I backed away.

"You may want to tell them who and what you are before you wear out your welcome, Liliana." Carlisle warned.

"Very well, then. As you now know, I am Liliana and I am a vampire. And it has been only six hours since I last drank human blood." Gasps escaped from the women and I was met with serious eyes from the men. Carlisle tried to look surprised, but I knew better.

"But, your eyes! They're not red. They're not even gold. I don't understand!" Esme exclaimed, looking between Carlisle and I. I smirked; I knew whatever I said would come off as condescending.

"That's because I am a different kind of vampire. Something Carlisle has obviously never taught any of you. Like different races of humans, there are different races of vampires. There are Originals, Daywalkers, Midnights, Stones, and Revenant vampires. I am a Daywalker. That means I can go out in daylight and I don't glitter in the sun like you. Your skin is cold to the touch, and hard as a rock, but easy to break. Your eye color is based on what you eat and you can smell other vampires of your race. You could not use your gifts to manipulate me and you cannot smell me because I am superior in race to you.

"Midnights' skin cannot tolerate the sun and so only go out at night, hence their name. It is only possible to become a Midnight if you are changed by one, or if you are a Daywalker and stay out of the sun too long. Your tolerance can dissipate with time, so it's best to live in a sunny area. Stones are what the others call those like you. Revenants…" Carlisle interrupted me then.

"As a Daywalker, Liliana can go out in the sun without being burned or sparkling. Her eyes stay the same as the day she was born. Because of her strength, she is able to compel those less than her and will them to do as she pleases. Her skin is the same temperature as a human and blood flows through her veins, though it is not her blood. She can be injured and bleed but heals quickly, as we do. To kill a vampire of her stature it takes a stake to the heart and burning of the remains." he explained.

Jasper spoke up. "You said I could be stronger and faster. And all my scars? How?"

I grinned. "See? He is willing." My smile faltered a bit at Alice and Carlisle's faces. I huffed in exasperation. _Some people have _no_ sense of humor! _"You would but have to drink my blood." I held out my arm, wrist up.

"That's it?" Emmett scoffed. "What's the catch?"

"It takes about a month to completely change race. Sometimes longer depending on how long you've been a vampire already. And the process gets a little…messy…toward the end." I gazed at Emmett. His gold eyes caught mine and I smiled.

"Why isn't everyone like you then?" he continued.

"Good question. One many fail to ask. Usually, they don't know they can change again." I slid a knowing glance at my dear friend Carlisle before turning back to Emmett. "Most cannot find another vampire willing to take the time. During those four weeks, you have to drink almost every day and it must be from the same source. There are stages to the transition, and not all of them are so easy to tolerate. Also, undergoing another change puts you in a weaker state until you are complete. Most aren't willing to do that. Personally, I haven't done it for anyone. I haven't found anyone I want to spend that much time with. Yet." I winked and Emmett looked like he was about to blush.

"Will you be staying or are you passing through, Liliana?" Carlisle asked, watching me closely.

"I think I've found a reason," I looked at Emmett, then Jasper, "or two to stay for the time being." I smiled as I walked over to a plush chair, sitting down and making myself comfortable. "That is, of course, if I am welcome?"

Rosalie looked like she wanted to say something but kept her mouth shut. _Good girl._

"Of course. Any friend of Carlisle's is a friend of the family. You are welcome to stay here, Liliana." Esme smiled warmly but kept a strong grip on her husband's arm.

"Please, call me Lily."

A moment of awkward silence passed. I decided to break the tension.

"So what do you guys do for fun around here, since chasing humans is out of the question?"

"Have you ever played baseball?" Jasper smiled. I raised my eyebrow and hitched my heel on the ottoman to show them off.

"That would be a no." I turned to look at my friend. "You really have domesticated them, haven't you?" I sighed and got up, looking Jasper up and down. "Such a shame."

"I'm going to run Bella home." Edward shifted nervously and geared his love toward the door.

"It was nice to meet you!" I waved.

She smiled softly. "Nice to meet you t..." She was abruptly cut off by Edward closing the door between us. The rest of the family chuckled at Edward's protective antics, and then dispersed throughout the house_._ Carlisle lingered for a moment, waiting for the heavy wooden doors to shut between us and the rest of his coven.

Thunder roared outside, and lightning lit up the entire living room. Carlisle's face was as sad as I'd ever seen it.

"Liliana, may I please have a word with you? _In private_?"


	2. Consume All Of It

**LPOV**

As he turned his back to me, and headed for the stairs, I smiled. Nothing was ever more fun than ruffling Carlisle's feathers. I followed him up to a poorly decorated office with files stacked neatly on every available surface. The walls were lined with books and various medical journals. I assumed this was Carlisle's study, as it reflected his personality perfectly: neat and informative, but fairly plain and kind of boring.

"There's no point in shelving any longer, Liliana. Tell me why you're here." He huffed in exasperation, and I could sense his apparent diffidence to make eye contact with me. _I'd be afraid to look into my eyes too, dearest._

I sighed. I liked to speak to Carlisle in my most formal tones and advanced vocabulary. It took him days on end of my company to realize I was mocking him. "Please, Carlisle, I go by Lily now. It's softer, more alluring. It really has been too long, hasn't it? I know it's physically impracticable, but you've aged dear friend. An existence of monogamy and rearing children does not suit you I'm afraid." His anger flared immediately and he finally raised his eyes to mine. It amused me that a centenarian vampire would try to intimidate me, someone who had survived through almost four millennia. I zeroed my eyes in on his, not yet using my ability.

"Tell me what it is you really want, Carlisle. What you truly desire?" I started to wrench the strings that I knew would bend his will to mine, hoping for honesty.

"I want you to tell me why you're here." he lied. _Ugh_. I snapped the strings and dilated my pupils, bringing his consciousness into mine, and asked again.

"What is it you _truly_ want?" His pupils widened as well, absorbing my power, and his answer came quietly.

"I want to kiss you again, Lily." I pulled back from his mind as quickly as I had intruded and crossed the room quickly. With one foot in the hall, one hand on the doorknob, and a smirk on my face, I turned to look at him.

"Well that's an awful shame," I halted, drawing out his chagrin. "Because two hundred years ago, I may have let you." I slammed the door behind me, pleased when I heard part of the frame splinter. I was eager to get away from the memories he was unearthing in me. Before they grew too greatly, I cleared my head. I was keen to move onto my next conquest.

_Emmett_.

Carlisle snapped out of the trance and was at my back in an instant. "Liliana, leave my family alone. We are happy. I can't allow you to change that or I'll-"

I whirled around so we were nose to nose. "Or you'll what, Carlisle? What could you possibly do to me? We both know I could kill you before you even blinked."

He dared to look me in the eye. "I don't doubt what you can do, Lily. I'm simply asking you not to." My fingertips caressed his icy cheek. His eyes fluttered closed.

"Oh Carlisle, now where is the fun in that?" I questioned.

"Liliana, please?" His eyes begged me as he took my hand in his. I sighed. Puppy dog eyes always got to me: they were my greatest weakness.

"Alright, fine. I won't compel anyone to leave with me. When they do, it will be of their own accord." He did not miss the implication in my words.

"Thank you." he breathed.

"Only for you, darling." I caught Esme's gaze as she came up the stairs. "I'm sure you two have plenty to talk about now that I'm here." I pulled away from Carlisle, brushing callously past Esme to further irritate him. "Don't worry, I never fucked your husband...not that it never crossed my mind."

Oh yes, they had _lots_ to talk about. I smirked as I descended the stairs. Emmett watched me with an amused look on his face.

"I don't think I've ever seen Carlisle so worked up. You sure like to have fun don't you?"

"Oh honey, you've no idea the kind of fun we could have." I purred. Rosalie huffed and took off outside without a word. I almost felt bad for her. After all, even as beautiful as she is, I will more than likely end up walking away with her man. What I want, I get.

The thunderstorm continued well into the night, and when the thunder was at its loudest, Alice called everyone to the main living room. "It's time!" she exclaimed.

I looked up from my well-worn copy of _The Darkest Evening of The Year_ and laughed, thinking about how perfectly the title went along with the evening. Individual family members all wore different expressions, but there was no denying the excitement humming through the house.

"Time for what, may I ask?"

Twenty minutes of running later, I got my answer_._ Jasper had asked me if I ever played baseball and, while of course I knew the ins and outs of the game and often busied myself by watching it on television; I had never had any interest in playing the game. Most probably because my grip could shatter the bat if I squeezed too hard and no matter how gentle I could be, the ball would probably disintegrate from the force of my swing. However, all the Cullens assured me I could figure it out.

After a practice swinging session with both Emmett and Carlisle, only the latter being for actual instruction, I was playing like a pro. Since there were seven of them, I evened things up. We decided that, because of the talents that would be placed on both teams, that a "boys versus girls" game would be fun. So Carlisle took the pitching mound, Jasper scooped up first base, and Emmett made his home on third. Edward rounded out the team on second base. Esme, Rosalie, Alice, and I lined up on the imaginary baseline, and Esme hit the first pitch. Before even I could blink Edward was gone and back again, ball in hand. We played a few innings, no one scoring a run. When Edward went up to bat, I watched him communicate with Carlisle silently. They were most obviously scheming. Alice took her dancer's pose and threw out the pitch; Edward slammed it straight down the foul ball line, just a hair close enough to the field to keep it in play. He used his speed to his advantage and rounded the bases while the ball was still flying away from us all. _Impressive._ The game ended fairly quickly though, my team losing in a landslide. Edward was just _too_ fast. The thunder and lightning dissipated as the light of early morning filtered into the clearing and so, having lost our cover, we retreated to the Cullen's home.

Since it was Saturday morning, everyone wanted to go out hunting, but I refused to poison myself with animal blood. Carlisle frowned at me but accepted. Edward had hunted quickly on the way back from the game so he could pick up his beautiful Bella this morning. Having opted to stay at the house while the rest of the family hunted, that left Edward, Bella, and myself alone.

About five hours later, everyone was still out and I was bored. I started wandering aimlessly through the house when I found myself in Edward's doorway. He and Bella were curled around each other, each reading a book. Well, Bella was reading; Edward was brooding. Bella turned away from her book to look at Edward and sighed upon noticing the dark look on his face.

"There's really no reason for you to be so upset, Edward. I realize that sometimes I push your boundaries, but I'm a human, and right now I'm controlled by my hormones. Sometimes I have the sense to think through them and sometimes I don't. I love how gentlemanly you are, and I always will. But just because I said you have delicate sensibilities doesn't mean you get to be Emoward for the rest of the afternoon."

"Bella," his tone was condescending, like he was speaking to a child, "I'm not upset at you. Nor will I ever be for speaking your mind. I'm upset at the fact that you don't comprehend the constant danger I represent to you. Whether you believe it or not, I'm a killer, Bella; I have killed before and I will kill again should it ever become necessary. That makes me a monster."

I had heard enough.

"If you hate yourself that much, I could end your life for you. No sense in dragging it on." I leaned against the doorway, crossing my arms. Bella gasped, and Edward's scowl deepened, if that were possible. In less than a second, I wrenched him from the bed and pinned him against the wall, barely jarring the human. Once she realized what was happening, she shrieked.

"You really don't have to have such a hatred for vampires, Edward." I knocked his head into the wall, causing the plaster and drywall to buckle. He gripped my arms, trying to stable himself.

"I. Don't." he growled.

"And yet you do, Edward. You hate what you are. You didn't choose this life so you don't want it. Nothing seems fair. You are so afraid of what you might do that you don't let yourself embrace your full potential. You are only living half a life. I could end it for you, right here, just say the word." I squeezed on his neck, small cracks appearing beneath my hand.

"No! God, no! Edward! Lily, please?!" Bella leapt off the bed but stayed on the other side of the room. _Smart girl._ I focused on Edward again.

"She is worth living for. _Fully_ living for. The moment you forget that, everything is lost. She deserves better than half of a man. The way she loves you...that doesn't happen often."

"I don't deserve it. I'm a killer, a monster." he replied through gritted teeth.

I smacked his head into the wall again. "I'm the monster, not you. I've killed thousands with no remorse. A love like hers could redeem even someone like me." I released my grip and Bella ran in between us, wrapping her arms around him.

"You cherish that love with your life because it_ is_ your life. You give her what she wants because it's what you need. Don't ever let her go, the moment you do will be your greatest mistake. Take her for granted for just one second, and it's all lost. Trust me, I know." I turned away and walked out the door before they could say a word. I headed down the stairs and stopped dead at the corner.

"Where the hell did you come from?" I asked. Jasper stood leaning against the wall with a contemplative look on his face.

"What you said to them, as blunt as it was, well, it was very sweet of you." He smirked.

"Don't you let that get out, I have a reputation to uphold. But yes, I do believe I had feelings once."

**JPOV**

"Don't you let that get out, I have a reputation to uphold. But yes, I do believe I had feelings once." She smirked at me before heading toward the garage. I heard my motorcycle start up a second later and was tempted to follow her, but decided against it. I just took off out the back door without another thought. I finally stopped almost three hours later, but her smell lingered in my nostrils. I had run further from the house than I had in months. I wasn't exactly sure what I had been waiting around for. Everyone else had left to hunt hours before, but I'd just wandered around the property line, kicking up leaves and getting mud on my shoes. I could see the hurt in Alice's eyes when I told her I just needed to think. It was hard to think at all in my family. The minute a thought popped into your head, Edward knew. The second a plan started to form, Alice knew. I just wanted to weigh my options. And I wanted to do that _alone_.

I had considered the many possibilities. I had thought about a lot of ways to get out of living this life, and other ways to make the best of it. The most intriguing idea was the one Liliana had proposed. _Stronger, faster, no more scars. Who wouldn't choose that? _The notion had been rolling around in my subconscious since she got here.

I could feel it all happening inside my head. The decision was starting to cement itself, and I knew I'd face hell or high water whenever I went home again. I could hear someone approaching, but I was upwind, and it was still drizzling, so I couldn't smell them. I assumed it was Liliana. I could feel her at my back, and a familiar heat ran through me.

"I've made my decision, Lily. I want to go with you. As soon as possible."

"Esto hace daño mí usted no sabía que yo venía para usted, Jasper."

I froze; not with fear, but apprehension. No one could know about this. And I couldn't have this happening again. I stood slowly and turned to face the woman I had not seen in over a century.

"Maria," I nodded at her. "How was I to know you would come for me? You've made no attempt to contact me all this time." By feigning hurt, I knew I would gain her trust.

"_Oi_, Jasper. You are _tonto_ to think that. _Loco_! I have tried to find you a million times, but every single time I got close enough to smell you, that _delgada_ little wench was in my way. You must have her in a tizzy, no? There is only one thing you could do to her that she would let me get this close."

I smirked at her, continuing with the act. "It's not definite yet, _mi amor_." I caressed her cheek, pouring sincerity and adoration into her. "But yes, I am leaving Alice. I have been fighting my nature all these years. I miss the thrill of the hunt, and the warmth of the blood. I miss the warmth of a real woman."

"You know you are my _chico_ _malo_. You will always be my bad boy. Come away with me, and I will give you what you are missing."

I put my hands on either side of her face, and leaned in close to her; close enough to smell the musky perfume she was drenched in. "_Te perdiste, _Maria." I pressed my lips into hers, moving only just enough to keep her attentions. I slid one hand from her cheek to her jaw, and tangled the other in her hair, pulling slightly. When she pulled away to gasp, I grabbed as hard as I could with both hands and wrenched her head from her body.

The scream that filled the air was beautiful and electrifying. Her eyes were wide with panic, but her mouth was silent. I could see the weakness in her eyes, and as mangled as her body was becoming, I could still feel the betrayal. _Had she really thought I still loved her after all this time?_ With my Zippo in hand, I leaned down to her dismembered head, and whispered the last words she would ever hear.

"You're right, Maria. I will always be a bad boy." A slight flick of my wrist, and I put an end to the woman's pathetic life.

**LPOV**

When I came back in from my joy ride, Jasper was gone. I was a little disappointed but quickly recovered when I saw that some of the family had returned from hunting, Emmett included. I sat on the couch and picked up the latest Cosmo. Rosalie had good taste; I had to give her that. Emmett was sitting across from me, blatantly staring. It was killing me to keep from looking interested, but I didn't think they'd appreciate me ravaging the man while he was still attached. Alice walked in the room quietly.

"Lily, will you take a walk with me?" she asked, expressionless.

"Sure," I glanced at Emmett as I got up. He turned towards Alice. She smiled softly, almost sadly. I followed her outside and we ran to a clearing far enough away from the house to avoid the Stone vampires' hearing. Little did she know, _I_ could still hear everything that was going on at the house.

"I wish I could change this, but the decision has been made," she started. I was immediately put on the defensive and opened my mouth to speak. She held up her hand.

"Please just let me say my piece. No matter what happens in the next few days, Jasper is leaving with you. I've seen it. I can't see your decision but I see his," she took a deep, almost shaky breath. "I just want him to be happy. After all these years I thought he had been, but he has his doubts and, if I'm being honest, so do I. He doubts that he's good enough for this life, and I doubt that he can keep it up much longer. I've always loved this lifestyle and don't wish for anything different, but I think he's always secretly wondered about a different life. This is his chance and he's taking it. I don't blame him, or you. I only want him to be happy so if he's happy with you then that's what I want for him. Whatever your intentions, please don't hurt him. That's all I ask." She finally looked at me. I took a moment for that to sink in. It tugged at my heart to hear her say that. _Whatever your intentions, please don't hurt him._ If only I were the one doing the hurting…he might survive.

"Alice," I took a deep breath. "I must say that this is a first for me. I have never had someone's blessing when it comes to taking her husband away. So by that, I'm actually humbled. I have no intention of hurting him, emotionally or otherwise. That being said, I won't lie and promise you that he will have a happily ever after. I don't know what the future holds," I lied. "I will, however, promise you that while he is with me, he will have a good life. He will have anything he needs or desires."

She nodded. "Thank you,"

We started to head back, taking our time. "Alice," I stopped just before we entered the other's hearing range. "It takes a strong person to put someone's happiness over your own. In that case, I'm not that strong. If it were me, I would've killed the bitch who dared to take my man."

"When that bitch is a lot more powerful than me, I don't have much choice except hope for the best. By the way, Emmett is leaving with you as well."

"No long speech for him? I'm almost disappointed." I smirked.

"As much as I love my family; no, no speech. Emmett's been looking for a way out for a couple years now. Rosalie takes him for granted and is a huge bitch. More so than you in some cases. He just wants to have fun and enjoy life. He says he's sick of waiting around to be torn apart instead of out "kicking the shit out of the assholes that would do it." I can't speak for him from a wife's perspective but, as a sister, I can say I know he'll be happier with you."

It took a lot of self-control not to flinch. _No he won't._ "Good to know you think so. I won't feel bad at all then, when I leave. Not that I'm sure I could feel in the first place."

When I returned to the house, I walked slowly to Jasper's study, which was just across the hall from Carlisle's. I closed the door behind me and made myself comfortable in the plush high-back chair behind the desk. The leather was smooth against my skin and provided an adequate distraction for a minute or two.

Then I pulled out the first in my collection of disposable cell phones and dialed the only number in the memory. "Hello? Yes, this is Liliana Cuthridge…Yes I need my order delivered no later than Wednesday…Actually can you make that three?...Perfect! And how much extra is the overnight shipping?...That sounds just fine. Put it on the credit card on the account…Yes, that one…Yes I'm sure he won't mind a bit…Thank you, Andrew, you have a nice day as well."

After hanging up the phone, a niggling thought wormed its way into my brain. _You don't have to do this, you know._ I pushed it away and concentrated on listening to Jasper work his way back home through the forest.

_You bet your ass I do._

**JPOV**

I returned to the house slowly. I knew they would be able to smell the smoke on me, so I ran through the river instead of jumping over it. Esme would have my head if I ruined any of her carpet so I took off my shoes at the back door before running at full speed to my study. The house was quiet but I could tell everyone had arrived home some time ago.

As I reached for the doorknob, I could tell I was a little bit drier, and I could tell there was someone on the other side of the door. I could feel her emotions. _Apprehension, acceptance, hope._

I entered the room with my eyes cast down, not quite ready to face Alice. I should have known from the lack of smell that I was completely wrong in that assumption, but I didn't figure out it was Lily sitting behind my desk until she spun around in the chair. She got up and walked to me quickly; faster than a human could have seen. I liked it. I liked that she didn't pretend to be something she wasn't. I loved Bella now, and I supported her and Edward's relationship, but the whole human act was getting old.

Her eyes were a striking steel grey, with blue streaks throughout the iris. In just the right light, I had noticed the blue took on a green hue, closer to my own human eye color. She looked deep into my eyes and, with my gift; I could feel her prying at my very soul. It was the first time I could feel anything from her. I felt her influence, yet I wasn't able to stop it. _It terrified me_.

"Tell me the truth, Jasper. Tell me your choice." Her voice was only a whisper yet the loudest thing in the small space. The moon shone through the window, basking her tan skin in a soft white light. She almost glowed; she was like an angel.

I spoke without thinking. "I choose you. I choose to be with you, to leave with you." Her mind retracted from mine quickly, and without warning. It was almost a welcome presence to have someone in my head without trying to interpret and control my every thought.

"I'm glad, Jasper. I want to be with you, too. But I must explain; I want to be with you _and_ Emmett. He's going to become a part of my life also. I hope you'll make peace with that." She left no room for argument. But there was no part of me that wanted to argue with her. She would be mine, and Emmett's, and we would all be happy. _Together_.

When I met Alice, there was finally a light shining for me at the end of the tunnel. She was the perfect antidote to the hateful existence I was living. But since then, I had become more and more distant from her, feeling like I was never the right person to compliment her bubbly nature. Now, I had a glimmer of hope for my own future happiness. I leaned in closer to Lily, breathing in the sweet scent of her skin. "I accept that. I don't have to make peace with it because, frankly, I don't have a problem with it. I'm an open-minded guy, sweetheart."

I began to lean my head to hers, anticipating what she would taste like, when the door swung open wide. Alice beamed at me from the doorway, unexpectedly. She shook her head and laughed quietly.

"Didn't see _this_ coming! Jazzy, I just wanted to remind you; don't worry about me. I've got a feeling I'll get to meet my mate again _real_ soon." She tapped her temple confidently before closing the door.

Lily's laughter shook her in my arms, and I tightened my grip on her. Her eyes bore into mine, cementing our bond. I brought my mouth to her ear and whispered, "Now where were we, darlin'?" before softly pressing my lips to hers.

**Jasper's conversation with Maria:**

"It hurts me that you didn't know I was coming for you, Jasper."

Tonto – Stupid

Loco – Crazy

Delgada – Skinny

Mi amor – My love

Chico malo – Bad boy

Te perdiste – I missed you.


	3. Only To Drain My Inspiration

**JPOV**

I knew she wouldn't let me off that easy. About an hour before we were going to have a family meeting, Alice cornered me, asking if she could talk to me. I, of course, said yes. But throughout our whole conversation, I was itching to get back to Lily. But, she said she had something important to do and she would see me in an hour.

Alice basically told me that she had given Lily her blessing concerning me, because she could see that my decision would be to leave. Once she made the decision to give Lily the go-ahead, she said she had a fantastically clear vision of a tall brunette man with love in his eyes. She was convinced it was her true soul mate, the one she was really supposed to be with. I opened up to her for the first time in a long time and told her that before Lily had shown up, I had decided I was giving up on this lifestyle.

I didn't want to go back to killing, but Lily told me that you didn't have to kill humans to drink from them when you were like her. I didn't know how she did it, but I was anxious to learn, and I shared as much with Alice. She was completely understanding and accepting of me, like always, and she wished me happiness, even when her own wasn't for certain.

I wrapped my arms around her tiny frame, surprised at how foreign it already felt to touch her. She sagged into me for a moment, before going rigid. A moment later, I smelled her arousal.

"Sorry, Jazz. Old habits die hard." She seemed embarrassed. _Now, we can't have that_.

"Oh, it's alright, darlin'." I skimmed my nose along her neck before placing a gentle kiss just behind her ear. When she shivered I pulled away slightly and softly kissed her on the mouth, pouring all my thankfulness and joy and my goodbye into that kiss. When we broke apart, she smiled, her eyes shining with impossible tears.

"I love you, boy."

I laughed. "And you know I'll always love you, girl." I kissed her forehead and took her by the hand. "Come on now, let's go get comfy for the meeting."

"Okay, I'll be right down."

**RPOV**

She was the reason my marriage had finally failed. She was the reason I was going to lose my husband. She was the last person on earth I wanted to talk to, and she was standing in the doorway of my room, blocking my escape.

"What more do you want from me, Liliana? You've already taken my husband and my happiness. I've got nothing left." I flopped down on the bed, feeling weak for once, and not knowing what to do about it.

"I've taken nothing from you. You've just been so willing to give it up." Her voice was smooth and her words were perfectly planned and calculated. She was educated and grown up and beautiful and perfect. Everything I wanted to be but could not. _I hated her_.

"I gave you _nothing!_ You just waltzed in here, compelled me to keep my mouth shut, and forced me to watch you dazzle my husband! You know he won't even _look_ at me now? Three days, Lily! He hasn't spoken to me or even stepped foot in here for _three_ days." I was ready to rip this bitch apart but she cut me off, spearing my heart with something she shouldn't even have known.

"He doesn't want kids!" She stopped and watched me; watched me as my heart fell right out of my chest and burst into flames. Then she proceeded to dance in the ashes. "He never did, you know. I spoke with him about it, and he says you're obsessed with it. Obsessed with the only thing you can never have, instead of appreciating what's right in front of you. He knows that you don't love him the way you should, and he's been dying inside for almost a century." She paused, finally looking me in the eye, though I was afraid to look back. "Now, do you still feel that I took something from you, or am I simply giving something back to him?"

Her face was like stone, showing no emotions. There was a timbre to her words that hinted at an ulterior meaning, but I was in too much shock to figure it out. Because even if she was a stone cold bitch, it didn't change the fact that she was absolutely right.

"I'm sorry." Lily looked very confused at my apology, but I didn't give her a chance to say anything. "Tell him for me, please? He won't speak to me. But I need him to know I'm sorry." I heard a door slam downstairs and someone sprint away from the house. _Fuck_.

Lily smiled at me then, a sad smile that didn't reach her eyes. "He knows," she said.

And then she disappeared downstairs.

**LPOV**

I ran down the stairs, out of the house, and into the forest with every intention of scolding Emmett for running away when Rosalie was only trying to apologize. It was only when I saw him doubled over, clinging to a huge Hemlock like his second life depended on it, that my ire cooled. I walked up to him slowly, not wanting to startle him, and rubbed his back soothingly.

"Emmett, love, she meant every word she said. Her conscious betrayed no signs of distress, other than the obvious fear of hurting you. Now that your new future is laid out before you, I see no harm in forgiving her your past."

His eyes met mine and they were pitch black, full of rage.

"_Forgive her?!_ Why should _I_ forgive _her?_ She's the one who spent the better part of our life fantasizing about babies she could never have and treating me like the asshole who made it that way. Hell, _she_ had Carlisle turn _me_. What if I had wanted babies, huh? Like regular human babies with a regular human girl? I'll bet she never thought of _that!_" He yelled his last sentence back toward the house, probably hoping for Rosalie to hear him.

He gulped down breath after breath and he seemed to be calming, but I could see the outburst in his eyes, waiting just below the surface to unleash on any unsuspecting victim who might say the wrong thing to him. I grabbed his shoulders, locked eyes with him, and snapped his will in a matter of seconds.

"Kiss me." I said. And, oh boy, he did.

Emmett's lips were cold and hard and powerful, but soft and gentle all at once. Though I'd had centuries of experience with kissing, his was the most caring I had ever felt. It was like he could pour all the emotion he was feeling into his mouth, and transfer that energy to me in a kiss. My heart beat faster, almost like a human's, and I could feel myself getting excited.

I pulled back from him, hoping to slow things down, but his movements mirrored mine. One more step from each of us and we were pushed up against a tree, his hands in my hair, his mouth on my neck, and my legs wrapped around his waist. His arousal pressed directly into my core as it grew, and I felt the first stirrings of pleasure as his hips rocked into mine.

As my hands wound into his hair and pulled, he gasped, biting down on my neck slightly. I threw him off of me with a little too much force and he crashed unceremoniously through two rows of trees. He was immediately on his feet and headed back toward me when I willed him to stop.

"Not yet, Emmy-bear, but soon. Okay? Now, let's get this show on the road." We walked back to the house hand in hand.

"Alright, everyone, let's get this over with. I know you are all dying for answers to questions you're too scared to ask."

I waited patiently as family members trickled in. Emmett was already sitting next to me on the couch. Carlisle perched himself on the arm rest of a chair, leaving the seat for his wife. Edward and Bella curled up in the loveseat directly across from me. Rosalie came down the stairs but stopped at the far wall, leaning against it. Jasper brushed past her, and sat on the floor in front of me, leaving the other open chair for Alice. She touched his shoulder as she passed by, and he smiled up at her.

A small smile graced Esme's face as she walked toward me, sitting on the plush chair that Carlisle also occupied. Silence passed and I sighed. I glanced at Jasper and then Emmett longingly while everyone got settled. The only person making eye contact was Esme. _Chickens_.

She finally spoke up. "Okay then, I'll go first. Liliana, how old are you?"

Startled, I looked down at my hands. "If you were a male, I would burn you at the stake for asking me that question. But, I know what you are really asking and I will answer. However, I am keeping my weight to myself." I raised my eyebrow, and then took a deep breath.

"I am 3,423 years old," A hush came over the family. "Yeah, let that sink in for a minute that I'm actually older than the Torah. I was born in 1,412 B.C. in ancient Greece. As for the whole Christ debacle, and whether or not that was real, is a discussion for another time." I waved my hands in dismissal. I decided no further questions were really necessary, and launched into what I thought of as a pathetic excuse for a life's story.

"My mother died while giving birth to me. I don't remember anyone in my family. Not their names or what they looked like. I had my parents and one older brother. That's all I remember. I don't know about my childhood or much of my youth. The first thing I remember was when I was twenty-five. I was tired of people assuming I was a peasant because of my last name, so I changed it to Cuthridge and moved away from my hometown. Throughout the years I've constantly changed my first name. I've been Liliana, Leanna, Liana, Anna, Annie, Lilian, and Leeann. You name it, I've been called it. Except Lily. I've only been Lily for a little while now. Anyway, I settled down in a small town outside of what is now Marseille in France. I had only been there a week when he found me. I met and fell madly in love with a man named Giovanni. He was the love of my life and the bane of my existence. He had beautiful, dark hair and bright eyes. Long story short, he was handsome and wealthy, and everything a young girl could have dreamed of. I thought for sure we were to marry and have our own family. Little did I know, he already had a wife, and I was little more than his whore. His wife found out about me and she demanded my head on a platter. In order to save me, Giovanni transformed me into a vampire."

Ignoring Bella's gasp, Edward held up his hand, and I paused. "Wait. How? I'm guessing changing into a vampire is different with each race?"

"That's right. Except for the Originals. There's no way to become one of them. You either are or you aren't. Except for Stones, who procreate by venom, the transition is the same for the other races. You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die. When you wake, you must drink human blood to cement the transformation. If you take longer than a few days to quench that thirst, you become a Revenant. From then on, you constantly seek blood, needing to quench that first thirst you denied yourself, so you're driven purely by hunger. Stones can become Revenants too if you deny yourself, but the burn is usually too great to ignore so, it rarely happens in your race."

I sat back in the couch, running a hand through my dark hair. "Imagine my surprise when the man I loved forced his sliced wrist to my open mouth and then proceeded to break my neck. I woke up a day later alone in some field."

Jasper frowned, "How could he do that? What's the point in making you a vampire if he was just going to leave you? He didn't save you, he damned you."

I smiled grimly. "His wife, Salome, is an Original, as is Giovanni. There are six originals in total. Ivan is _the_ Original. Vampires exist because of him." I paused for a moment, thinking that over. "Actually, vampires barely exist because of him. He created his five fledglings and forbid them to create more. Obviously, none of them listened. No one seems to know the true story of how Ivan himself was created." I laughed, then, thinking of all the versions I'd been told.

"Besides Salome and Giovanni, there are also Isolde, Sebastian, and Gwendolyn. Most people assume that Sebastian and Gwendolyn are a couple, but they're not. Isolde mostly lives alone, though it has been awhile since I spoke to her. Gwen was my best friend when I was first made; she took pity on what Giovanni did to me. Isolde is madly in love with Gwendolyn. She is fiercely loyal and the most honest person I've ever met. You would think that her years have made her wise, and yet she is still so very naïve about the world and its ways. Still, you will not find any other vampires more powerful than them; not even the precious Volturi and their pets.

"So, anyway, as a human, I could easily be found. Blood isn't as potent while it's still in the veins to other races, as it is to you, but the smell is there. Once she found my smell, she could find me. As a vampire, my human smell disappeared forever. He gave me a chance to live by killing me. I still haven't figured out which would have been better. In the span of twenty-four hours, I found out the man I was in love with is married to someone he will never leave and I became a vampire. I was crushed. I tried to commit suicide numerous times. Through trial and error I learned how to deal and discovered what I could and couldn't do, all the while dealing with a broken heart."

"Has he ever tried to contact you?" Rosalie interjected. I had been briefed of her history and knew, without a doubt, that if she were to care about any part of my story, that would be it.

"Who? Giovanni? Yes, he has; a few times. The last time was over two hundred years ago. He never even got close. Never will as long as I'm alive...or dead. I was in Russia at the time, when I spotted one of his men. Giovanni never came to look for me himself, he always sent his men. They all looked the same to me, so they were easy to spot. I took off before they caught wind of me and found myself in London. This was now the late 1790's, early 1800's."

I paused, "Man, those dresses were to die for. They don't make them like they used to. I even miss those damn corsets. They were a bitch, but damn if you didn't look great in one." I rubbed my ribs, remembering the pain.

"One night, I was roaming the streets just after I arrived in London and I came across a young man who looked a bit like Giovanni, only with blonde hair. I was scared, yet intrigued." I looked over at Carlisle, sharing a small smile with him before he sobered up and leaned back, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Of course, he was more scared of me than I was of him."

"I was not!" Carlisle objected.

"Don't lie. You were too! You were a baby vampire and you didn't know what the hell was going on. Admit it!"

His lips twitched. "I admit nothing,"

"Such a liar!" I laughed.

"Me? Never!" he smiled.

"Whatever, old man!"

"How old are you again? Oh right, you were there with the dinosaurs, how could I forget?"

"Carlisle!" Esme scolded.

I laughed, shaking my head. "It is okay, Esme. So there we were, both of us scared and alone on a dark night. I wouldn't hurt him and I knew he wouldn't hurt me so we took shelter in this old brothel. For whatever reason it was abandoned with all the furnishings, so we were quite comfortable. We spent some time getting to know each other and learned that we were the same yet different." I hitched a laugh as the memories resurfaced.

"Once, I came back from the saloon with this beautiful woman, thinking that surely Carlisle would want a taste of her," I winked at him. "I practically drug this girl to him, and there he was at the dining room table, of all things, draining this poor bunny! There were more on the floor beside him, poor things! What did Thumper ever do to you?"

All eyes turned to Carlisle as Rosalie snickered, and Alice laughed quietly.

"Sure, laugh like you don't have the same diet." His eyes narrowed at his children.

"It's better than killing humans," Edward spoke.

"Is it?" I raised my eyebrow. "Animals are innocent, only killing to survive. Humans kill every day in this world, and you think they don't deserve it? No one is so innocent that they don't deserve it. You could feed from an animal and only take so much and let it live, but then the blood will attract other predators to finish the job, so killing them is necessary. That, I understand. However, to survive, I don't have to kill humans; sometimes that's just part of the fun." I held up my hand when Edward huffed and shifted.

"Before we get into that fight, let me continue. Carlisle was eating his meal, blood all over his face. He tried to be prim and proper and eat at the table but he was horribly messy back then. I do hope you are better, darling."

Carlisle laughed, "Yes, I can assure you that I am." Esme giggled and Bella blushed.

I smiled when Jasper's hand gently encased my ankle. "I did everything in my power to seduce Carlisle into feeding from this girl, just to make him see all the fun he could have. I didn't compel him because I wanted him to make that decision himself but, he never did, no matter what I tried." I shook my head.

He smiled proudly, "I even got as close as sitting next to them on the couch, but I couldn't bring myself to drink from her, no matter how good she smelled."

"Do you remember what you said?" I rested my chin in my hand, leaning against the arm of the chair.

My friend wrapped his arms around his wife, "I said, 'My dear, I can't. I hope to have a family of my own one day and I want to set a good example, where we can live in harmony and not put humans at any more risk than they already are to themselves.'"

I nodded. "We stayed together for a few weeks, enjoying the freedom to be who we were. True to my word, Esme, we never did anything. Well, we kissed, but nothing else."

Carlisle shifted, kissing Esme's hair. "One morning when I woke, she was gone. The only thing she left behind was a note that said 'Someday we will meet again.' Then nothing; never to be heard of again."

"I thought you didn't sleep!" Bella frowned.

"Stones and Revenants don't. The others can but it's only necessary for those who are weakened by the sun. I don't have to sleep every night. I can get away with once a week if I'm on the run and don't have the time or safety. Some nights I got so horribly bored of his talking I would compel him to relax and slip into slumber. Those nights were lovely," I shared a smile with him as Jasper's thumb rubbed the inside of my ankle.

"What have you done with yourself since then, Liliana?" Bella asked me.

I pondered a minute, "Well, I've been to a few good concerts, but I think Elvis will always be my favorite. I've been all over the states; so far my favorite places are Maine, California, and Colorado, though I do have a soft spot for the South. Oregon isn't too bad if a little hippie-ish. More importantly, though, I have made sure I have a safe house no matter where I am in the world. Kind of like what you have." I looked around the room. It really was a beautiful house. "Giovanni hasn't come looking for me since London so I think I'm safe enough to stay in one place for a while. Who knows what we'll do." I shrugged, looking over at Emmett and then down at Jasper.

"I'm guessing we'll be leaving soon then?" he asked.

"We'll head out in a day or two. I have a house in Oregon, but we'll only stay there for one night. We have a flight to catch in a few days. I recently bought some property across the country. That's where we will live."

Emmett stood up. "Well I guess I should hunt then, right?" he turned to me.

"I would say no, but it's up to you. The less blood there is in your system to start with, the better."

Esme and Carlisle stood as one.

"I would like you to. One last family outing," Esme fought to keep her expression neutral but anyone could sense her pain. Jasper nodded as they gathered at the back door. Edward dragged his feet, looking back at his love.

"Edward go with them, I'll be fine here." Bella smiled, pushing him along. The others had already started running. He kissed her forehead and took off. A few hours later, Bella and I were drinking iced tea on the back patio, watching the woods for their arrival home.

"Lily, can I ask you something?"

"Of course." I sipped the tea and leaned back into the lounge chair.

"The other day, you said you knew all about losing the love of your life. Was that Giovanni?"

"Caught that, did you? No, it was not. I thought I loved him but I didn't know what love meant until I met Paul. That was in the sixteenth century." I closed my eyes imagining his face. "Paul was beautiful; long, light brown hair, almost blonde, and dark blue eyes. Sebastian, the man I spoke of?" Bella nodded. "They look devastatingly similar. Paul and I met at a fair where they had one of the first merry go rounds." I smiled at the memory. "From that very first day, we spent every waking moment together, which of course caused some talk but we didn't care. The only thing that mattered was each other. We were in love, everyone-else-be-damned, you know?" I looked over at her and we shared a smile. Bella knew exactly what I meant.

"After some time, he earned my trust, and I told him the truth of what I was. I was so scared of what he would think. When I told him, he did the last thing I ever thought he would do. He kissed me. Then he said 'You're still the Annie I fell in love with.'"

"Oh, that is so sweet!" Bella giggled.

I nodded, "I fell more in love with him right then. Years went by and he got older but he made it clear he never wanted to be a vampire. I wasn't happy about it but I respected his wishes. It killed me not to just change him anyway, because trust me, I was tempted. One night, I saw a couple of Giovanni's men and I freaked. I didn't want Salome to find us and take her anger out on Paul, so I left him. That was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and my only regret. I left him a note saying I will always love him but that I had to go."

A tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, not wanting to scare the human when she noticed the blood on my face. I smiled. "I would appreciate if you didn't tell anyone. Not everyone in this family needs to know I have a soft side."

"I promise," Bella nodded. "Do you know what happened to him?"

"Yes, I kept tabs on him through the years. He bought our dream home, a beautiful Charentaise house. He eventually married and had three beautiful children. He finally succumbed to sweating sickness when he was forty-one. It was only a matter of hours from the onset of the fever to his death. His wife was devastated, but I compelled her to take money from me for his funeral, and to survive without him. I try to visit his grave when I can. I haven't been there in a long time though; I like to stay away from Italy as much as possible."

"Oh, I can imagine! Have you ever met the Volturi before?" She looked at me with a strange and hopeful face. It dawned on me that her new family probably wasn't completely honest with her, so I decided I would be.

"Yes, I know them very well. I actually stayed with them for almost a decade after I left Paul. I wanted to stay close enough to keep tabs on him but far enough away that he could never find me. I really did like Marcus, but Aro and Caius have tried for centuries to rule the world, and they still don't. I imagine that's rather frustrating, and so they are not the most pleasant people to be around."

Bella looked sad for a moment, as though she were remembering something. "I think I can see what you mean. When I met them…well, Aro and Caius never took their eyes from me. Marcus seemed relatively bored throughout the whole ordeal."

"That's because he is bored, my dear. Bored of living, and yet cannot die. He used to accompany Aro in his quest to have the most gifted collection of vampires, but he has long since grown tired of breaking up mated couples and families. I think it all became too much for him when he took Chelsea from her parents." Bella's confused look spurred me on; I wanted her to know something before she ever went back there.

"Chelsea has a gift, a very powerful one. She can influence relationships; make you love or hate someone in the blink of an eye. Make you lay down your life for someone you just met or turn against someone you've known your whole life. You must beware of her. She could take Edward away from you. _For good. _I promise you, if I ever have the chance, I'll ruin the bitch's life."

Bella and I shared a hearty laugh and she thanked me for my promise. We spent a few minutes in comfortable silence before reaching for our favorite pastimes; Bella with her book, me with another one of Rosalie's magazines. After another hour I heard them in the forest.

"They're back." I looked up, not yet seeing movement. Bella perked up, scanning the trees before going back to her book. Half an hour later, the family emerged. Emmett had his arm hooked around Edward's neck and they were laughing. Esme and Rosalie were clutched together, but smiling. Alice was dancing in front of Carlisle and he threw a pile of leaves at her. She twirled around in the cascade of greenery. Jasper walked alongside the two of them with his gaze, and his smile, aimed directly at me.


	4. Promises Were Spoiled

Chapter 4 – Promises were spoiled.

**LPOV**

Esme, Bella, and I climbed into Carlisle's Mercedes and headed for the grocery store. Bella was staying the night at the Cullen's house and Esme had offered to make dinner for her. _Maybe I'll tease those boys and eat a little something myself tonight_. Once we parked in front of Safeway, Esme and Bella headed inside while I made a phone call.

"Everything is in order, Miss Cuthridge. The house should be finished by tomorrow and will be spotless by the time you arrive."

I smiled into the phone. "Thank you, Mr. Smith. You will be rewarded handsomely for your helpfulness." After I hung up, I found Bella wandering aimlessly through an aisle, picking up a few things from one side and ignoring the other completely. When I saw what she was so studiously avoiding, I laughed.

"Are you afraid of alcohol, Bella, or is there some other reason you won't touch anything on this side of the aisle?" She blushed slightly, and it made her smell even more delicious than usual.

"Of course I'm not afraid of it! It's just that I'm only eighteen and I can't have it so I just kind of pretend it's not there. Why, do you drink?"

"Well of course I drink, Bella. I'm a vampire." We shared a small laugh at our private joke and she continued to put items in the basket. I looked through the small selection of wine, scoffing at the quality. If it weren't in such a shitty place, I'd make the trip to old wine country. When Bella left me to go meet up with Esme at the meat counter, I ran back to the front of the store to grab a hand cart.

With a mission in mind, I made my way back to the liquor aisle. _Tonight would be fun, whether or not Carlisle wanted it to be._

"Lily, she can't drink alcohol. She's underage and she never has before. Besides, alcohol is a blood thinner and it also dilutes your judgment. You can drink all you like, but Bella will not." Edward finished his rant just as Bella rounded the corner. I had made the mistake of pouring three shots of melon vodka, intending two for myself and one for Bella, without asking permission of her great protector.

"Oh? Is that so, Edward? Because, as much as I love you, the last time I checked you didn't own me." Bella's tone was serious but I could see the smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I can do as I please, mister." Her face finally turned up into a full smile and Edward chuckled.

"You know you're adorable when you're mad, right? Like a ferocious little kitten thinking it's a lion." Edward wrapped his arms around her, but from my point of view, I saw Bella's smile fall. She pulled back from Edward's embrace and looked him in the eye.

"You never take me seriously, Edward! It's infuriating!" With that, she walked up to me and, looking into my eyes carefully, nodded. I picked up both shot glasses as she picked up her one and we clinked them together before downing the alcohol. I handed her a cup of Minute Maid fruit punch and she chugged half of it, grimacing. Then, she smiled.

"You know, that wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be. The aftertaste is _so_ fruity." She smiled at me and I couldn't help but giggle at her.

"Yes, well, you ought to take it slow. That's why I bought you these," I reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a yellow bottle.

"Oh no," she immediately protested. "I've tried beer before, and it's disgusting."

I laughed. "Well of course it is! I don't drink that shit either. This, my dear, is called a fuzzy navel. It tastes only of peaches and is _incredibly_ dangerous for first-timers with no supervision," Edward growled at me. "Which is why I will be supervising you myself." I pinched the top and, though it wasn't a twist top, it came right off. I handed the drink to Bella and she took a tentative sip after looking at Edward.

"Oh, you're right; this could be very dangerous! I can't taste the alcohol in it at all!" Edward wrapped his arms around her midsection from behind and kissed her cheek.

"You should moderate this very well, Bella. In just a split second you can go from light and dizzy to very sick. I've seen it happen in human minds in the blink of an eye. But, I trust you so, have fun." As he nuzzled her ear, Bella's face flushed and I faked a gagging noise.

"Alright you two, break it up! Bella, let's have one more round so you can get a buzz on then we'll space it out throughout the evening. Edward, please go convene the family." Bella downed her second shot as I finished up my third and fourth. "Bella, you and I need to go talk to Jasper."

She hopped off the stool with the fuzzy navel in hand, stumbling a bit. Edward steadied her with a close eye on me. Bella took a sip and headed into the other room, one hand grazing the wall. Once she was out of sight, Edward walked right up to me.

"I told her I trust her, and I meant it. I, however, do not trust you. If anything happens to her, you are to blame. I will make sure she knows that." Edward's tone was soft but it left no room for argument. I would have laughed if it wasn't so irritating.

I glanced over at her. She was sitting on the arm rest of the loveseat next to Emmett. He was playing a video game and laughing at something she said. "Edward, look at her. She's carefree and having fun for once. I'll absolutely take responsibility for that."

"Lily, I know that you're Carlisle's friend, and that makes me respect you. However, I will not let you harm anyone in my family. I know what your powers are, and you know mine. I don't want this to get ugly but, if you are going to stay here, you are going to have to learn your place." He crossed his arms, challenging me.

"Just so you know, Virgin, this conversation isn't over." I grabbed his consciousness with mine but made him do nothing; just reminding him who he was talking to. I brushed past him, and taking Bella's arm, declared it was time for the evening to start. "Come on darling, let's go."

"Oh yeah! Be back!" she announced as we headed up the stairs, never letting go of her drink. I knocked on the door to Jasper's study. Without waiting for an answer, I opened the door.

"Jasper?"

He was sitting on his desk, looking at us expectantly. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

I held up my hand. "Hold on cowboy. Close your eyes."

He watched me curiously, his gold eyes sparkling before closing them.

"Just feel." I instructed and guided Bella into the room. She took a sip of her drink, looking right at Jasper. His eyebrows knitted together and his lip twitched. He took a few deep breaths.

Bella smiled, "Can he feel it?"

I nodded, watching him. He cocked his head to the side, and opened his eyes.

"What is it?"

"That my dear man is the influence of alcohol." I grinned, looking from him to Bella and back again.

"No wonder I couldn't pin-point the emotion. Everything she's feeling is warm and fuzzy!" He watched the human with curiosity. "I'm surprised Edward went for that."

"I have my ways. _You_ know that." I sauntered over to him, standing in between his legs. His hands immediately found my waist. "I do have a favor to ask." I ran my hand through his hair.

"Anything you want, darlin'."

"If we kept Bella's buzz going throughout the night, do you think you could amplify it so everyone has a good time?"

Jasper laughed. "I think I can manage that."

"Thank you! This will be fun!" I fingered his hair, kissing his cheek. He moved at the last second, catching my lips with his. I pressed my lips more fully into his, my warm flesh melding with his cold. The hands that had been around my waist slid further south to my bottom and squeezed as I opened my mouth to him. The gagging noises behind us made me laugh and I turned to look at Bella.

"Come on now, Jazz. Not _too_ good of a time. Couple the lust you're projecting right now with my drunkenness and there's no telling who will be making out by the end of the night!" A chorus of laughs and growls erupted downstairs. She giggled and skipped out of the office. I was about to tell her it wasn't a good idea to skip down the stairs when I heard Edward use those exact words. He came flying into the office, pinching the bridge of his nose. Jasper shook his head and said, "Don't bro, you'll lose…"

I knew immediately then that Edward was looking for a fight, and I damn sure wasn't about to let him make the first move. I was just about to curl my fingers into a fist when I realized I didn't need to use my strength to get him to do as I pleased.

"Edward, please lighten up. You know what? I'm through with asking you." His eyes snapped to mine, ready to argue, but I already had hold of his head. "You are going to let Bella have fun tonight. You are going to let her drink, curse, laugh, and do whatever else she damn well pleases. And, just for fun, every time someone says Bella's name, you will have the insatiable urge to touch a different part of her body. She'll like that. Oh, and lose the attitude. Now come on, it's time to rearrange the living room."

We went downstairs together and I watched as Jasper and Edward pushed all the couches from the center of the room to make a large empty space in the middle of the floor. After gathering cushions from every available chair and sofa, and stealing the pillows from all the beds in the house, we'd made quite a comfortable circle where everyone could sit together.

"Alright! Listen up!" I yelled over the noisy chatter. _I swear, get everyone to sit on the floor and they start chattering like school kids._ "Here's how tonight is going to work; we're going to play truth or dare. However, since most of you are pansies and would only pick truth, I'm upping the ante. Every time someone picks truth, they will have to take a shot." I was immediately met with a chorus of "Absolutely not's" and confused glares.

"Up bup bup! HUSH!" Once everyone quieted down, I laughed. "I didn't say you had to go into the kitchen and take a shot of alcohol did I? No. Instead, Bella and I will be taking all the literal shots, and the rest of you will be taking Jasper's shots."

Bella erupted in a fit of laughter that turned her face tomato red and Rosalie said "That's what she..." before Emmett covered her mouth with his hand. _What the fuck is so funny? _ I was thoroughly confused until, from the furthest point of the circle from me, Esme whispered, "That's what she said..." A giggle involuntarily rose from my throat and I looked at Jasper, sure he'd made me feel this amusement. Instead, he seemed to be fully concentrating on Bella and Esme, who were seated next to each other. As I looked more closely at the two, I realized they wore identical expressions: eyelids low and heavy, crow's feet from a permanent smile, one or both hands touching their respective significant other. Once I understood, I launched myself at Jasper, knocking him down, and peppered his laughing face with kisses.

He pressed his mouth firmly into mine and wrapped one hand in my hair while the other trailed lightly down my back before settling on my bottom. I pushed my pelvis into his, relishing in the firmness I felt there. I must have been fully exposing my emotions to him, because whatever he was putting out was a mirror of how I felt. Even though he couldn't tamper with my feelings didn't mean he couldn't make me feel something. His whimper of pleasure was lost inside my mouth as I opened my lips to devour his tongue. His hips pressed up into mine as he withdrew his mouth from mine to suckle my earlobe. My soft moan was the only coherent sound I could make. When I finally regained my wits, I smiled at him.

"You are the most amazing empath I have ever met, Jasper Whitlock."

After a few people told us to get a room, I quickly moved back to my seat. I immediately looked to Alice, slightly concerned that she may have been upset at our very public display of affection. She smiled at me and shook her head, her power not necessary to see what I was thinking. I shared a small smile with her and continued explaining the rules. "As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted," I glared playfully at Bella, "when you choose truth, you will have to let Jasper send you a shot of whatever emotion Bella is feeling because of the alcohol. That could be confusion, lust, giddiness, or any combination of things. So, if you want to stay sober, and I do say sober not clothed, you'd better choose 'dare'."

Esme giggled again before glaring at Jasper. "Jasper...! Jas...! Damn, what is your middle name anyway?! Jasper Middle Name, you'd better stop doing that to me right now! The game hasn't even begun, and you're already cheating!" The rest of the family joined in with Esme's giggling, Alice and Rosalie discussing whether they ever knew a middle name for Jasper. After the noise died down I got up and went to the refrigerator to replace Bella's now empty drink. Once I crushed the cap and she took a swig, we were ready to go.

"Who wants to start?" I asked. Emmett raised his hand quickly and began jumping up and down as much as his seated position would allow. "Fine, Emmett," I laughed. "Go ahead and pick someone."

"This is going to be awesome! I choose..." As he searched around the circle with his eyes, I heard Alice giggle and whisper to Rosalie, "This is going to be hilarious! Wait until you see what Lily did to Edward!" Emmett eye's finally settled on Bella, and she sat up straighter, expecting to be picked. Instead, Emmett chose her partner.

"I choose Edward. Truth or dare, little brother?" Edward rolled his eyes and picked truth. Jasper sent out a small dose of content, coupled with lust and happiness. As Edward's smirk softened into a smile, Emmett laughed. "Excellent! Have you and Bella ever made out?" At the mention of Bella's name, Edward's hand seemed to involuntarily shoot out from his body, going around her waist to settle on her hip. She jumped slightly from the contact, but smiled. I saw Edward's fingers grip Bella's hip slightly tighter before he answered Emmett's truth question.

"Yes, Emmett. We have made out many times. Now, it's my turn. Rose, truth or dare?"

Rosalie answered immediately. "Dare. But, can I have a shot of Bella-is-tipsy-ness anyway?" She looked at me for permission, seeing as I had laid the ground-rules.

"Of course you can, beautiful girl! Jasper, pour her a strong one." I was starting to feel my own buzz and I winked at Rose before turning back to Edward, waiting to see what crazy dare the 106-year-old virgin would come up with.

"Okay, Rose. I dare you to call the police station and talk dirty to whoever answers." After the group stopped laughing, I had to give Edward credit.

"That is actually a really great idea! I mean, I know Rose'll do it, but still, clever! Jasper, hit her with your best shot! No, wait! Bella come here!" Bella was up and scrambling toward me faster than a slightly off-center Edward could reach for her; his hand came up empty when he tried to grab hers.

I grabbed Bella and was out the front door as fast as was possible for me. As soon as I thought we were far enough away I could whisper where Bella could hear but the others wouldn't, I stopped. "Okay Dizzy, here's what I want you to do. Don't say a word, but when we get back, sit down next to Edward and then start thinking about the dirtiest thing you've ever thought of him doing to you. Even if it's bending you over that baby grand and making you forget your name. That way, when Jasper projects a shot of you to Rosalie, it'll be totally lusty! Since she has to give someone phone sex, it's probably a good idea anyway. Ready?" She nodded. With that, I slung her up onto my back and was back through the front door within a minute. Emmett had his shirt off and was flexing as we came into view.

"Emmett," Bella started, "why are you naked?"

Emmett laughed before cheekily replying, "I'm not naked yet, Bella, but I could be. Do you want a strip tease?" He started to move his hips back and forth, his slow movements making his abdominal muscles flex and release in a tantalizing rhythm. Both Bella and I were left speechless.

Jasper shouted, "It worked! You were totally right, Em. Every girl here is hot for you!" After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I snorted at their stupid assumption.

"You two are idiots. First of all, Alice and Bella are like your sisters, and Esme is like your mother. I'd say only two out of five. Sorry, Em."

Esme spoke up then. "If I'm his mother, then call him Oedipus, because that is one fine hunk of man. Oh my goodness, did I just say that out loud? Jasper! Stop projecting!" Esme looked bashful, but still heavy-lidded and slightly lustful.

Jasper's grin turned into a smirk as he said, "I stopped projecting the first time you yelled at me, _mom_. And, for your information, Lily, Bella and Alice think Emmett is just as sexy as they do me and Edward. Isn't that right Alice?"

"Who said I thought you were sexy?!" Alice retorted. "Emmett is fiiiiiiine." This earned another round of giggles from the group before I realized Rosalie had yet to complete her dare.

"Rose, you've still got to make good on your dare! Bella? Now." Edward's hand landed very close to her left boob this time. She looked momentarily confused but then closed her eyes and did what I had told her. As Bella continued with her train of thought, I could smell the faint aroma of her arousal just before I saw Jasper adjust himself. "Well, Jazz? Give Rose her shot and then give her the phone." Jasper smiled slyly and let me feel what he was going to send Rosalie, though, with Emmett shirtless and Jasper tenting his trousers, I wasn't sure I needed any help getting turned on.

Rosalie's eyes widened before they became dark. "Damn, Bella! What are you thinking about?" Edward's hand moved slightly higher and caressed the underside of Bella's breast. Her breathing hitched, but before everyone could turn to look at her, Rosalie put the house phone on speaker and dialed the number to the Sheriff's station. A gruff voice came on the other end of the line and Bella froze in shock before her eyes went wide and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle her laughter. I paid more attention to the voice on the phone when it spoke again.

"Hello? This is Fork's Police Department, Chief Swan speaking."_ Swan?_ Bella's last name was Swan. So this man was her..._oh no_.

"Hello, Chief Swan…" Rosalie purred into the phone, her voice taking on a lustful timbre and instantly reminding me of an adult phone entertainer. "How are you doing tonight?

"Umm…I'm good. Who is this?" The Chief's voice was gruff and slightly unsure.

"Well, that depends. If you play your cards right, I could be your every fantasy. If not, I could become your worst nightmare." Rose accentuated each word with a short pause and a heavy breath. She _really_ knew how to do phone sex.

"Uh, I'm sorry ma'am, but I think you have the wrong number." You could hear the smile in the Chief's voice, and also a bit of reluctance to end the call.

"Oh no, Charlie. You are _just_ the man I needed to speak with. You see, I have this little problem. I just don't feel safe at home all by myself. I need a _man_ to come and protect me. Could you protect me, Charlie?" Bella's face was as red as a beet, but even Carlisle was struggling to hold in his laughter. I tapped Jasper on the leg and nodded toward Carlisle and Esme. Jasper smiled and lightly brushed my arm, sending an electric current and a wave of pure lust through me. I thought he was trying to manipulate my emotions for a second before I realized he was just showing me what was about to happen to Mom and Dad.

Rosalie continued to taunt Charlie, asking him how big his gun was and if his aim was any good. Bella finally gave up on not laughing and went to the kitchen for another Navel. I focused on Carlisle, wondering if I shouldn't compel him as I had Edward to make this night more fun for Esme. The answer to that question came in the form of Jasper saturating the couple in lust. I was on the edge of my cushion, waiting for Carlisle to take Esme right there in front of his family, when his eyes turned to me, and turned pitch black.

Rose finally hung up the phone and, after recovering from her fit of giggles, chose me. "Hey, Lily! Truth or dare?"

"Dare." My tone was so serious that everyone finally looked at me. My eyes had never left Carlisle's. Rose read the situation perfectly, and gave me the greatest dare for the moment.

"I dare you to give a thirty second striptease to the player of your choosing." A chorus of "ooh's" and "aah's" rang out from around the circle. I gave each of the boys a cursory glance, lingering on Edward for just a moment to make him squirm, before walking to the kitchen to retrieve a proper chair. I came back with the chair in hand, and walked halfway around the circle from where I had been sitting, and placed it directly behind Carlisle.

"Have a seat, Mr. Cullen."


	5. Before They Left Your Lips

**LPOV**

He turned around, startled. "You're not serious."

I raised my eyebrow, and pushed the chair towards him. He looked back at his wife. She smiled and kissed his cheek, then pushed him out of his seat. Carlisle stood up, adjusted his shirt and then sat in the chair. I sauntered around him then stopped, and turned towards Rosalie.

"Do I get some music at least?"

She nodded and smiled. "Sure."

Emmett got up and plugged his iPod into the surround sound. With one click of a button, _Porn Star Dancing_ by My Darkest Days started playing. I laughed and started swaying to the beat, pushing my hips far out to one side before dragging them back to the other. A small smile played on Carlisle's face. I glanced back at Jasper and he winked. Lip synching the words, I reached up to my dark gray vest, slowly popping each button. My white short sleeved V-neck underneath hit lower than the vest, revealing an ample amount of cleavage. His eyes immediately dropped to the new sight. I smirked and left it open, running my hands through my hair which conveniently dropped the V-neck between my breasts.

I swung my hips more sharply as the beat picked up at the chorus and shook my head slowly as my fingers raked through my hair. I shrugged out of the vest and let it drop to the floor. Then I propped the toe of my black Fendi heel at the front of his chair, making him spread his legs. I bent forward and clasped my ankle, just barely brushing his crotch. He inhaled sharply as I slowly trailed my fingers up my jean clad leg, my hips never missing a beat. Esme then came up behind me, matching my rhythm with her hips. She reached around me and took hold of my shirt, slowly lifting it up. I leaned back into her, burying my hands in her hair. Carlisle's eyes immediately darkened as he shifted in the chair. Her hands skimmed my sides as she hoisted the shirt over my breasts, revealing a bright purple bra. I pulled my hands away from her hair and she removed my shirt, tossing it at her husband. He caught it, dropping it over his lap. I cupped my own breasts, massaging them gently. Emmett groaned, so I pushed them together as Esme played with my hair. Abruptly the music stopped and we looked over at the culprit_. Jasper_. Of all people.

He smiled. "Had to stop it before things got out of hand. Your thirty seconds were up a while ago."

I removed my foot from the chair and turned towards him. "Were you not enjoying the show?"

He glanced down at his straining pants and back to me. "I absolutely was, but I really don't think we need to turn this into an orgy."

Bella started giggling from her spot on Edward's lap. I glanced back at Carlisle who was now kissing his wife furiously as she straddled his lap.

"Wow Ez, you go girl! Wait, give me back my shirt before you defile it."

Carlisle's hand shot out, pointing at Emmett who was twirling the white fabric on his finger.

"Emmett, give me my shirt!"

He snickered. "Hell no, you are way too hot like that," He then proceeded to shove the shirt down his pants. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You really think I won't go there?"

"Bring it baby!"

I stalked over to him, and reached for his jeans. He caught my wrists and spun me around at his true vampire speed, pinning me against him. I struggled against his cold body, not quite using all my strength. He chuckled lowly in my ear as he backed us up and sank back to his couch cushion on the floor, taking me with him. I huffed and made myself comfortable. _I'd get my shirt back eventually_.

"Your turn babe." He kissed my temple.

"Okay, stop!" Rosalie exclaimed. "That is not an image I need seared in my brain!"

I jumped from the noise and snapped my gaze over to Rosalie as Emmett tightened his grip on me. But she wasn't even looking at us.

"Esme! Carlisle! You have a room, put it to use!" She pointed up the stairs.

They slowly unlocked their lips and Esme turned around on his lap, wiping off her lips with her finger. She smiled sheepishly.

"Are you two quite done? Can we continue now?" Alice asked from her perch next to Edward and Bella.

"By all means, carry on with the game." Carlisle wrapped his arms around Esme, keeping her on his lap. I looked around the room. _Who shall I choose_?

"Bella, honey, truth or dare?" Edward's hand landed high on her thigh. She jumped and then smiled, relaxing into him. Bella took a drink of her Fuzzy Navel before answering.

"Dare."

There was no hesitation in my answer. "I dare you to kiss Rosalie for five seconds."

"What!? Hey!" Rosalie stood up with her hands on her hips. As if on cue, Jasper sent her a wave of lust and her fists dropped.

"Cheap move, Jazz." She sighed. "Alright. Just this once."

Bella took a longer drink before handing the half-empty bottle to Edward. She stood up to meet Rose in the center of our circle. Slowly they both leaned forward, a little bit at a time, until their lips were just barely touching. All of a sudden, Rose grabbed onto Bella's arm, and stepped forward, kissing her fully. I glanced over at Jasper, my eyebrow raised. He shook his head, so that move was all her own.

"Time!" Edward called out.

"Fucking amazing." Emmett whispered in awe. The girls stepped away from each other, Bella immediately reaching for her drink.

"Okay, Esme, truth or dare?" she asked after situating herself next to Edward.

"Oh, umm, truth."

Jasper shot out a wave a giddiness and love. Esme relaxed in return. Bella bit her lip in thought.

"What's the best thing about being a vampire?"

Esme smiled warmly. "Many lifetimes with the ones I love. That and your body never changes. Alright Emmett, I know you're dying for a turn."

"Dare!" He boomed loudly. I winced, and rubbed my ear.

"Sorry…" he chuckled, rubbing my arm.

"I'm going to regret this, but to go along with tonight's theme; I dare you to simulate your greatest fantasy with anyone of your choosing. Clothing required!"

"Aww, take away the best part!" Emmett chuckled before releasing his grip on me. He stood up and grabbed my hand gently, pulling me to the center of the room. He motioned for Rosalie to come to him. She made a face but walked forward, standing next to me. Emmett looked between me and Rosalie and smirked.

"Excuse me, Edward," He flicked his hands off of Bella and pulled her to her feet before pushing her over to me. I caught her as she stumbled. Emmett extracted my shirt from his jeans, depositing it on Edward's lap. "Take care of that for me, will ya?"

Edward picked up the white fabric gingerly with his thumb and forefinger, a disgusted look on his face. He dropped it on the floor. "He goes without underwear more often than not."

I smirked. "Good to know."

The amount of lust in the room spiked from Edward's proclamation. I brushed Bella's hair back, exposing her neck. My fangs dropped down a bit at the sight of her pulse. I shuddered. _I have got to feed tomorrow. _

"Okay!" Emmett clapped his hands together, breaking the trance I was is, and tore Bella away from me, dragging her over to Rose at vampire speed.

"Emm, she's drunk, be careful." Jasper advised.

"Right! Sorry!" He patted her head and pushed her against Rosalie. "So, you and Rose would be making out, because that is _way_ hotter now that I've actually seen it happen."

My hand suddenly landed on Rosalie's boob. Both of us looked at Emmett with our eyebrows raised.

"No judging the fantasy! Then I come in, and because everyone is hot for me, you all come to me," Emmett then stepped inside our triangle. He placed my other hand on his crotch, and Rosalie's on his ass. He pulled Bella flush with him, her head resting on his chest. He put her empty hand on his chest and squeezed. He grabbed my head and kissed me hard. I moaned, leaning over Bella and into the kiss. I massaged the flesh in my hand. Someone moaned that was not me, or Emmett. We broke away from the kiss to find Rosalie's eyes closed, my hand caressing her full cup. Bella watched with rapt attention. I locked gazes with Emmett whose eyes were slowly fading to black. He wrapped his arms around all three of us as we sunk to the soft carpet. I felt Rosalie's nipple pebble before I pulled my hand away.

"Now my ultimate fantasy goes like this," Emmett planted his feet on the floor and then grabbed Bella's waist and set her so she was straddling one of his legs. He positioned Rosalie the same way on the other leg and smiled wickedly at me. "Rose would be whispering dirty nothings in my ear, while Bella would-" he stopped as Edward appeared behind his girl, his hand on her shoulder.

"What the- Get out of my fantasy Eddie!"

Edward shook his head but backed up. I snickered as I watched the emotions play in his face.

"As I was saying," Emmett watched his brother suspiciously. "She would be kissing my neck while Lily makes herself useful down there,"

I glared at him from my position behind the girls and between his legs. Alice came up, running her fingers through his short hair.

"That's nice." He moaned. "And then we'd take turns doing what we need to so everyone, mainly me, is satisfied." The sex in the air was palpable. I eased my way between Rose and Bella and kissed Emmett soft and slowly. He dug his fingers into my hips to bring me closer. I wrapped my arms around his neck, barely feeling Rose and Bella leave. I nipped at his bottom lip just as his tongue snaked out, tangling with mine. His hands rubbed against my naked back, touching every inch. He reached up for the clasp of my bra. I flung his hand away at my superior speed. He groaned as his shoulder cracked in protest. I pulled myself away and jumped back from him. This time it was my body that cried out in protest. _It has been _so_ long._

I glanced around. We were completely alone. "Well we certainly know how to clear a room, don't we?"

He chuckled as he leaned up and I helped him to his feet. "You can clear a room with me anytime."

I laughed. "Goodnight, Emmett."

"Night," he smiled lazily.

**JPOV**

I heard the murmurings of goodnight and in the next instant, she was in the room. My heart would've skipped a beat, if it could. All this time making ourselves one with the humans made me forget how fast we could really move.

"Are you sure Alice is okay with this? It seems strange for me to be sleeping in your wife's bed."

Lily had asked the same question since the first night. She wasn't a fan of the arrangement, but she certainly wasn't going to be staying anywhere near Rose or Edward, so that left only my room for her to spend the nights in. I certainly wasn't complainin'. She was dressed in only one of Rose's tank tops and a pair of panties that matched the bra we all got to see during the game. Lily had pilfered her other day clothes from Alice's "Goodwill" pile. The cream-colored satin tank made her eternal tan stand out, and it made the irises of her eyes look almost blue in comparison.

_I love her_. It took me the day to figure that out. I watched her flit about the house with my family members, doing this or that, never taking too much of an interest in any one activity. Until the game of truth or dare, I didn't think Lily had really had much of a conversation with anyone but me and Emmett. She was so intellectual; and it was almost embarrassing to talk history with her. My knowledge was based on a couple hundred years and a couple hundred books. She wasn't speaking about what she knew of history, she was regaling what she'd lived through.

"Well, it is a little strange, but then, so are we. And, out of all the places in the house you could stay, this one makes the most sense. Doesn't it?"

She sighed as I crossed the room at her speed and stroked the side of her face, letting my hand linger over the slow pulse in her neck. My fingers glided down and under her arm, for once ignoring her hip and instead continuing on to her back. With one arm around her waist, I guided the other to her hair, and pulled her into me, just to hold her. Apparently, she had other ideas. She maneuvered just enough to press her face to mine; kissing and biting and inhaling me all at the same time.

I counted every freckle I could while my eyes were open, and memorized the feel of her mouth on mine when they were not. I could hear the dull thud of her heartbeat, a promise of what was to come. I pulled us slightly toward the bed and we fell as one onto the plush mattress. Her leg immediately hitched over my hip, bringing my aching erection into contact with her barely covered center. I groaned from the contact but she wouldn't let go of my mouth.

Her tongue suckled mine and her teeth bit at my lips gently. I tried to connect our bodies more closely together but she kept wriggling away just far enough to keep me from touching her. I growled and moved so the hand that was on her back moved to her hip and yanked her body roughly against mine. She slowed our kiss and opened her eyes, smiling at me smugly.

"No." She said. "Goodnight."

With that, she rolled over and snuggled into the pillows on what had been my "side of the bed" when I'd shared it with Alice. I was stunned. I glared daggers at the smooth skin on her back for almost half an hour before I realized she wasn't going to turn back over. _Obviously I've been dismissed. _

Instead of being upset, I was immediately filled with a sense of elation. The emotion washed over me like an ocean wave, soaking me completely. I realized that the carefully guarded wall Lily kept up during the day was about to come down. Her heart slowed even more as her breathing evened out, and the gentle rise and fall of her shoulder told me she was completely asleep.

Elation faded, the happiness subsiding into a kind of numbness, and I couldn't help but wonder why Lily was feeling like this. The curve of her cheek slowly faded as the smile withdrew from her mouth. A small line formed between her eyebrows before the corners of her mouth turned slightly down, frowning. The numbness was odd; I was able to feel the emotion, only there was no feeling with it. Her eyebrows knitted more tightly together and, like a stick of lit dynamite had been tossed at the façade, the wall between what Lily felt and what she showed came crashing down.

_Pain._

_Agony._

_Guilt._

_Shame._

_Hurt._

_Embarrassment._

_Fear._

The emotions fluttered through her like leaves in the wind, so quickly that I hardly had time to name the first before the next came. I doubled over, resting my arms on my knees and my head on my arms, so heavy was the onslaught of her torment. I wanted to cry out: for help, for someone to care, but I didn't know why. It felt like tiny razors slicing against each visible part of my flesh every time I absorbed some of Lily's suffering.

It was torture, willingly subjecting myself to her distress; each new feeling harassing me as a memory or a dream surfaced to bring it out in her. How did she not wake? Surely someone with this much going on in their mind would have trouble sleeping?

She stayed still.

_All night_.

I watched her, trying to memorize which expressions on her face mirrored which emotion. I wanted to know how she was feeling and why she was feeling it even when she was hiding behind her carefully constructed numbness, and I wanted to make it better. I stayed next to her through the night, wishing like hell I could augment the way she felt, and hating myself because I couldn't. The morning light filtered through the sheer panels on the windows. I looked up, watching dawn break through the night. I know I should have left but I couldn't bring myself to. _Not yet_.

An hour whisked by and the sun was fully up, shining on Lily's beautiful mahogany hair. The furrow on her brow ceased to exist, and her facial features evened out, leaving her looking as though she was happy. I heard her heart rate change, and her breathing became more uneven, less controlled. As soon as her wrist flinched I ran from the room, to give her space. It would have been off with my head if she'd known I spent the whole night watching her. _Ugh, that's _so _something Edward would do_.

**LPOV**

"I am never drinking again." Bella moaned, pressing Edward's icy hand against her forehead. I laughed as I entered the kitchen.

"Wasn't it fun though?"

A small smile crept across her face. "Yeah," she admitted begrudgingly.

"Then you'll do it again. Someday. Just gotta learn to hold you liquor, dear girl." I grabbed a glass of water and a couple Advil, handing them to her.

"No, I'll be a vampire soon. I won't be getting too many more opportunities to party."

Edward huffed. "I thought we agreed to wait, love."

"I'm not entirely convinced yet. I don't want to be older than you," Bella moved his hand to the back of her neck. He stood there for a moment and looked down at her, stunned. I could tell he wanted to say more but my presence limited what he could. "Are you using me as an ice pack?"

Bella smiled sheepishly, and nodded. "You're helping me." He chuckled and kissed her hair. I took that as my cue and left the room before they became too sickeningly sweet. The other Cullen men came in from outside as I walked into the living room.

"There she is!" Emmett grinned. "When do you want to take off?"

I saw pain flash across Carlisle's face before he returned it to a neutral expression. _So considerate, that one_. Jasper caught the emotion though, and watched him intently.

"We'll leave later this evening. Do what you want today; I have to go into town to feed."

"But…" My old friend started.

I held my hand up to stop him. "Don't worry, I'm going to Port Angeles and no one will remember a thing. You'll be safe."

Esme walked gracefully down the stairs, stopping when we locked eyes. She looked like she would be blushing if she could.

"There's the hot mama. How are you this fine morning?" I winked.

She giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand.

"Yes, last night happened! Believe it, baby!" I grabbed my purse. "I'll be back, don't wait up." And with that, I was out the door.

**EmPOV**

As I watched her leave, I couldn't help but wish I was going with her. I smiled. I will be soon. _Tonight._ Jasper looked over at me.

"We should probably pack."

I shrugged. "There's not much I want to take."

A loud thump echoed from upstairs, close to what sounded like my room. We both took off upstairs and stopped in the doorway. Rose finagled the window open with one hand while easily balancing a huge box full of stuff with the other. Once the window was open, she turned back and sneered at me. It didn't make sense until Jasper patted my shoulder and walked away.

"Rose?"

She ignored me and proceeded to shove the box out the window. I finally figured it out. _That's my stuff!_ My jaw dropped and I rushed to the window in time to see all my clothes hit the ground.

"What the hell, Rose?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Now you don't have to pack."

My fist clenched and unclenched, itching to punch something. I'd never hit a woman in my life and I had promised myself I never would. I took a deep breath, watching her as I punched the wall, my hand almost going through both layers of drywall and insulation. She was too pleased with herself to be afraid, and she barely flinched. I shook my head and left the room.

"Can't say I never did anything for you!" she called.

I stopped dead in the hall, about ready to forget my promise.

Carlisle appeared at my side. "It's not worth it, son. You are both upset. Don't say something you won't be able to take back."

I nodded before continuing down the hallway toward the stairs. "Tell _her_ that." I rounded the corner and peered into Jasper's room, finding him and Alice packing his things contentedly. _Of course_. Alice was pretty much perfect. _God damn her._


	6. I Breathe You In Again

Chapter 5 – I breathe you in, again.

**LPOV**

The sun set fairly quickly after I returned to the house, and it was time for the boys and me to leave. I was completely satisfied from my feed and two teen girls now had a faint memory of making out with the other, both of which weren't sure what to do with that fact. _If only I could be there to see what happens_. But alas, I had other plans. I settled into the couch as the boys put what they wanted to bring into the car.

"By the way," I threw out for anyone nearby to hear. "A Stone named Victoria wasn't friends with the family or anything, right?"

Edward stopped cold. _Uh oh_. "You. Saw. _Victoria_?!"

"Maybe. And then somehow she caught fire. No idea how it happened." I examined a chip in my nail color.

"We have been trying to track her down for months. She threatened Bella's life. How did you..? Why did you kill her?"

I shrugged. "She insulted my shoes."

Edward just shook his head and before long everything was ready. I had no emotional farewells to say, so I only left the Cullens with two warnings.

I told Carlisle, "I promise to take care of them. Even if it means, god forbid, sacrificing my own happiness. I must warn you though, Carlisle, that your existence will not always be so peaceful." I willed him with my eyes to understand the meaning behind my words. No recognition crossed his face, but there was nothing more I could do. After a brief goodbye with everyone, I made my way to Bella.

She hugged me with all the effort her little human body could muster, and I almost laughed at how gentle her embrace was. "Now Bella, you must make the tough decisions around here. Your human emotions are the only thing you have to argue with right now. You can think through a decision without having to know every consequence, and because you aren't set in stone like these other assholes, you'll grow into a fine young woman. Oh, on that note, I know you really want to be changed right now…but give it a couple years. Trust me, even Edward will thank me later…" I winked at her before walking out the door.

As we drove, the boys busied themselves by battling in a handheld video game. Their relative silence forced to me to address my thoughts, and they were getting darker by the minute.

_I had been reluctant to go to him. Just because he was the Original didn't mean he could summon me whenever he fancied. But, in the end, I had gone. I figured that it was better to work with him as much as possible, because going against him could garner fatal consequences. I had been spending a lot of time in Sofia, Bulgaria around the time Ivan first sent for me. There were so many diverse landscapes that I could truly test my speed and agility, and I hardly spent any money living there. However, what with its proximity to Romania, I had to do a good job of healing any wounds I inflicted on humans, and I had also had to perfect compulsion, so as not to rouse suspicions._

_I traveled across the southern border into Greece, wishing I could have been visiting on more pleasant terms. I took my time, traveling on foot and by horse, and finally made my way to the southernmost coast. A quick swim and I was on Santorini. Ivan had requested we wait until dark to meet, and so I busied myself with scooters and fishing and compelling young Greek men to fawn over me. Once the sun set, a beautiful young man by the name of Adrian escorted me into the city center. There were nightclubs and dancing and young love all around me. Adrian swirled me through the unpaved streets; he was a beautiful dancer._

_I was quickly swept up in the feel of warm skin on mine, his pulse contracting in each and every vein, just a few milliseconds of time between the pulse in his feet and in his hands. His lips were making sweet passes from my shoulder to my collarbone to my neck and back. I smelled him just a moment before Adrian's mouth left my skin and he placed his hand protectively on the small of my back. _Ivan._ I whirled around, placing myself between my date and my dance partner._

_I looked deep into Adrian's eyes before compelling him to kiss me and then immediately forget about me and go on with his life. When I turned back to face Ivan, he was right in front of me and closing in. His warm breath flitted across my ear as he whispered, "I've a proposition for you, dear."_

I came back to the present in a rush, amazed at how much time in our drive had passed. We were almost there. When we got to the house in Portland, I sent the boys to scout out the perimeter. They were virtually indestructible then, and they would be again after their change, but during the process was a state of weakness. They would be able to defend themselves but not much more. It was the reason I had chosen such a secluded property to take them to for the transition. We weren't leaving until the next morning, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

While they were gone, I addressed my thoughts, though they weren't likely to better my mood any. I refused to let myself be drawn back into remembering, and I wouldn't wallow anymore. Instead, I thought about just how similar to Ivan my first love had turned out to be. Giovanni had been everything I thought I wanted and then some. I later learned the only reason he had been so sweet to me was because his wife didn't believe in romance anymore, and I supposed he was just proving to himself what he already knew: he could get any naive little girl he wanted to fall in love with him. It was hard not to think about the boys, then. _Was I doing the same thing to them?_ I knew I had been given a job to do, but I couldn't help the guilt that wrenched inside me, telling me I was no better than the people I hated.

When Emmett and Jasper returned they both had a look of lust in their eye, and their eyes glowed gold. I frowned.

"What did I say?! I said the less blood in your system the better. And what do you do? Not only do you go hunting with your family yesterday, but now you've hunted again, renewing the amount of animal blood. Don't you understand that this is going to be painful?_" _I sighed. _For both of us,_ I thought.

Emmett had the decency to look sorry, but Jasper just smirked at me. _The playful bastard_. He sauntered over to me, looking very sexy, and placed a chilly hand on my cheek. "We were securing the perimeter, as you asked. When I thought of how we were finally away from the family, away from prying ears; when I finally realized we were _alone_ with _you_, well the urges were insatiable. I had to take down two deer just to think straight again." His smirk increased in size, and I heard Emmett stifle a laugh.

Well, two could play at that game. "Is that so? Well then I've the perfect solution," I ran my finger down his chest, stopping at the top of his Texas-sized belt buckle. "Tonight, to take care of your…urges…as you called them…_all_ three of us…will sleep in separate bedrooms. Hopefully the distance will allow you to control yourself by morning, and we won't have any problems with the plane ride. Now, if you both want to take your first drink from me, you will actually be able to sleep tonight. I warn you now; you may have a few aches in the morning." _I'll keep the part about nightmares to myself._

Jasper had been rendered speechless by my teasing, but Emmett wasted no time in sauntering up to me, eyes locked firmly on the pulse in my neck.

"That's right, Emmy-Bear. You know you want it. It's been so long since you've felt a human's blood flow into your mouth, gush straight from the vein into you," His face was moving closer and closer to me; close enough I could feel his breath. Jasper broke from his trance only to be fixed in another; he was completely taken with watching Emmett close the distance between his lips and my skin. "Bite me, Emmett. Mark me!"

Before even my eyes processed movement his razor-sharp teeth were slicing into my flesh. It didn't hurt, per say, but his venom stung, sort of like lemon juice in a cut. I gasped, it having been so long since someone had fed on me. I had completely forgotten that this could be a pleasant, sensual experience. Within the next three seconds, Jasper was on his knees, lifting my leg. The femoral artery ran down the leg, and the blood flowed thickest near the inner thigh. Of course I knew this, and Jasper did too, but I had no idea the pleasure I would feel when Jasper's teeth cut through the sensitive skin.

I let the boys drink for thirty seconds, each taking between twelve and seventeen pulls of my blood. As soon as I felt the first inkling of lightheadedness, I yelled to Emmett. When his eyes snapped to mine, I grabbed his consciousness, though it was slightly more difficult than before. "Stop." I commanded. He pulled his mouth from my neck at once and backed away slightly, licking his lips. I could feel myself becoming woozier, but the tickling sensation in my leg and the heat in my core made me want to let Jasper keep going. Emmett must have sensed I was losing myself because he put his hands on Jasper's shoulders and gripped him as hard as he could. When Jasper disengaged my thigh to address him, I pulled away, stumbling slightly. Before Jasper spoke a word, he saw my pallid face, and said nothing.

"Now if you boys will excuse me, I have to go get some rest." I used the rest of my energy to run at full speed to my bedroom. I closed the door and stripped. If they wanted to see me, they'd come barging in. _Might as well give them something to look at_. Consciousness left me, and I slept a dreamless sleep.

I awoke a few hours later, just after sunrise. I felt completely better, though I knew I would have to feed soon to recover fully, and to keep up the strength to complete the boys' transition. I heard deep breathing on either side of me, and went to check on Jasper. I knew it had been centuries since he'd slept, and I didn't want the nightmares to ruin his peace. However, his face was perfectly relaxed, and his consciousness showed no signs of distress. I thanked whoever was listening for Jasper's gift before I quietly retreated from the room and headed down the hall toward Emmett. His breathing was not as stable, and one touch of his consciousness revealed there were some sort of troubled thoughts in his head, though I couldn't tell what exactly.

I peered into the dark, focusing on the space between his brows. There was a deep furrow, and a slight sheen of perspiration covered his face. I sat next to him on the bed and caressed his face. I murmured small words and sounds of reassurance and, coupled with the soothing effect of my touch, he calmed. His brow smoothed out, and his breathing resumed a normal rhythm for a sleeping vampire. I rose to leave and was just to the door when a small sound rang out.

"Lily?" It was only a whisper, but I whipped around and was back next to him before he could miss me.

"Yes, Emmy?"

"Will you stay with me for a little while? I don't want to see all that again. She was just hanging laundry out to dry…she didn't deserve what I did to her. Rose never even got the flowers I was taking her. That's what she was most angry about I think…" His quiet sleep rambling ended in a large yawn, and I laughed quietly.

"Yes, sweetheart. I will stay with you tonight." I climbed into bed next to him, and he pulled the covers over us both. We simultaneously whispered goodnight and I snuggled into his chest. I closed my eyes, hoping to catch a little more shut eye before the long flight tomorrow, but just as I was about to drift off, I thought I heard something. I opened my eyes and peered up at Emmett, who was now staring down at me.

"Lily, I'd like to try something, if it's okay with you?" I was on the edge of sleep in the arms of one of the men I loved. _Loved? I was extremely tired._ I really had no idea what he was talking about, so I just shook my head yes and closed my eyes again. In the next second his lips were on mine, molding to fit around my mouth and drawing me in.

I responded almost immediately, kissing him back, and mingling my tongue with his. He moaned softly and the sound reverberated against my tongue. I groaned from the sensation and fisted my hands in his beautiful dark curls. Emmett's hand traveled down my back before cupping my leg behind the knee and hitching it over his hip. In our new position, I could feel very obviously where Emmett thought this was going. I slowed the kiss down a bit, hoping to let him cool off. To my amazement, Emmett pulled completely away from me and smiled, like he knew he wouldn't get what he wanted. _At least not tonight._

"You are an amazing man, Emmett. If I had the ability, I would fall for you. But please, let's just keep this to ourselves. It's not a good idea to get all worked up before our trip." I smiled what I hoped was a reassuring grin. Emmett's answering smile told me that he saw through my explanation, but wasn't quite ready to challenge it.

"Sure, Lil. It'll be our little secret." He kissed me once more on the lips before cuddling me to his chest and falling back asleep. I slept a troubled sleep, knowing what I then had to do.


	7. Feel You Underneath My SKin

**LPOV**

I slipped from Emmett's bed before he woke and headed into the living room. I sat down on the couch, pulling out another disposable phone. There was only one phone number in the memory. All I had to do was call it and I would be free: free to just be me, away from and out of Giovanni's reach once and for all. Free to live however I pleased without running, without fear. _So simple_. _Just do it_. I leaned back into the couch, listening to the slow breathing of slumber in the surrounding rooms. I gazed at the numbers on the lit screen, my thumb hovering over the send button. Biting my lip, I cleared the screen, only to scroll back down and select the same damn number. I stared for what seemed like hours at the little black phone, my mind wandering to a different time and what seemed like a different life.

_"Annie, where are you taking me?" Paul tugged at my arm._

_"Just a bit farther, my love." I giggled, kissing his smooth cheek. I pushed through the gate, nodding at the attendant. He followed us to our destination, and I pulled the silk scarf from Paul's eyes. He immediately started laughing. _

_"I wanted to take you back where it all began. Where _we_ began." I smiled at the merry-go-round in front of us. _

_"It's wonderful, my lover. However, are you sure we can be here? It is awfully late, sweetheart."_

_"Oh, of course! This nice man has…offered…to help us."_

_He laughed. "I'm sure he has. You sure do have a way with these things…" He mused as we climbed aboard and settled on one of the benches. Though the old machine immediately protested, it slowly began to turn. _

_"Is there anything you can't do?" He cupped my face in his warm hands, his blue eyes shining in the soft light of the moon._

_"I would do anything for you, Mr. Paul Williams."_

_He smiled softly, kissing each of my cheeks. "I love you, Annie. Someday you will be Mrs. Paul Williams, you know?" _

_I blinked back the blood in my eyes, cursing my affliction. "I love you too." I choked out, ignoring_

_the new break in my heart._

I flashed back to reality when I heard them moving around in their rooms. That time seemed so much easier: no fear of Giovanni searching for me, or finding me; no deals with the devil to contend with; just wondrously in love with the most amazing man. _Maybe I could get that feeling back_. I looked up when Emmett and Jasper entered the room. They both smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back. _I have to choose my own destiny._

I rose from the couch and looked down at the phone still in my hand. Without another thought, I crushed it in my grip, letting the broken pieces fall to the floor. I spoke to Jasper before either man could ask me about my outburst.

"How did you sleep?" I brushed the remnants of technology off my hands.

He rubbed his arm. "It was peaceful but weird. I hadn't slept in almost two hundred years."

"It was pretty good." Emmett winked. I chuckled and walked up to him, kissing his cheek. I ran my hand down Jasper's chest, feeling every muscle. He caught my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles.

"Get ready you two, we'll be leaving soon." I turned and vanished to my room, locking the door behind me. I smirked as I put on a tight black mini skirt. It would give the boys something else to think about while we were thousands of feet in the air. I paired it with a cute pair of purple high heels and a matching, flowing long-sleeved shirt. I unlocked my bedroom door and made my way down the hall. The boys were already dressed, ready and rearing to go. I smiled as they both looked up when I entered the room. I grabbed my purse from the kitchen counter and we headed out, leaving the beautiful house and the west coast behind.

Two hours later, we were sitting contentedly on the plane. _First class, of course_. Emmett sat in the window seat with me and Jasper on his left. Naturally, I was in the middle. The captain made his announcement and they shut the doors, making the way down the runway. Jasper immediately gripped his arm rests tightly and took a deep breath. I waited a few minutes, watching him. He didn't exhale.

"What are you doing?" When he didn't answer, I turned to Emmett. "What the hell is he doing?" He glanced at his brother.

"He's locking himself down and holding in his breath. Something Carlisle taught him to do to control the bloodlust."

"Well knock it off, it's weird."

Jasper didn't move.

"I'm serious." I jabbed my finger in his cold side and his face broke into a small smile, slowly relaxing.

"They were always afraid I couldn't handle being in such a confined place." he replied. I shook my head. Carlisle and I would definitely have to talk.

"Well no shit it's hard for you. You were traveling with six others who feel the bloodlust as much as you. Add that to what you already feel and, yeah, it'd be fucking hell. Doesn't mean you're going to act on it. There's a time and a place for that. Look, don't ever be afraid of what you can do. That's what gives you strength. Knowing that you can end someone's life in a second," I snapped my fingers. "That's power."

They nodded and Jasper relaxed further. He gingerly picked up my hand with his icy fingers. Gauging my reaction as he held my hand in his, he put them both in his lap. I smiled at him, and then noticed he was breathing through his mouth.

"Jasper, don't fight it. Embrace it. Just imagine it, how fast could you drain them all?"

"5 minutes." Jasper glanced at the others. I scoffed at him.

"Tsk, tsk. That long? We'll have to work on that…"

"Now?" Emmett's eyes lit up. I looked around, doing a quick head count, and then looked at my watch.

"Do you know how to fly a plane?"

They shook their heads.

"Then no, not now."

Emmett snickered. "So if I learn how to fly one, we can take one down?"

I laughed, "Take the class first, then we'll talk. I love the enthusiasm, though."

_Three hours later._

I flipped over the last magazine, tossing it at Emmett. He grinned and put it in the slot in front of him. I sighed as I stretched my arms over my head. The only problem with flying is there's only so much to do. I sat forward and looked around, my eyes landing on a business man who clearly thought he was a VIP right down to his diamond encrusted pinky ring. I rolled my eyes and slipped over the armrest right into Jasper's lap since he had the aisle seat. He looked at me with his eyebrow raised and I smiled, running my fingers quickly through his hair.

"Hey!" I whispered towards the man in the gray suit. He ignored me, continuing to read the newspaper. I cleared my throat and crossed my legs towards him, sticking my Louboutins out into the aisle while hitching my mini skirt even higher. I watched his eyes catch onto my shiny purple heel and slowly travel up my leg. _Gotcha_.

"Hi there," I greeted; making sure my accent was very prominent. Living in London all those years definitely had its advantages. Jasper shifted underneath me, making his arousal known. I ground my ass into him as I leaned over further towards the man. As soon as his eyes met mine, I locked onto his conscious.

"Can I see your ring? It's gorgeous."

He immediately took it off, and handed it over to me. I put it on the ring finger on my left hand. _A little masculine, but very beautiful_. It had a white gold band holding a square black sapphire in the middle and a complementing diamond surround. I had never once worn a ring on that finger, and it felt foreign yet right all at the same time.

"This is gorgeous, thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled lazily as I compelled him to forget about it and remember in a few days. If only I could be there to watch him tear up his things looking for it.

"Why don't you be a doll and get me a drink? I need three martinis with four olives each. And of course, whatever my boys want." His pupils dilated as I twisted his will to meet mine.

"I just want you…" Jasper whispered into my hair.

The man immediately got up and made his way to the flight attendants corner. A few minutes later, he came back with a tray in hand, martini glasses filled to the brim. Two attendants were frowning at him but, being first class, there wasn't much they could stop us from doing.

"Oh thank you, you're so sweet," I smiled, accepting the drinks. "Why don't you get some rest? You look awfully tired."

"Anything for you." he looked at me worshipfully before returning to his seat. I turned to see Emmett shaking from silent laughter.

"I get to learn how to do that, right?" he laughed. I took a sip of the first martini. _Perfectly shaken._

"Yes, you do." I winked at him. The rest of the flight went without incident and before long we were standing outside the airport, waiting. A representative from the car dealership pulled up with my brand new car; a cherry red Audi R8 with black accents on the hood. Emmett's canary yellow Chevy Camaro followed, and Jasper's pristine white Dodge Challenger SMS 570 brought up the rear.

"Sign these, Miss Cuthridge, and you'll be on your way." the salesman held out a clipboard. I smiled at him and scribbled down a signature.

"The others are at the house as ordered." He then dropped the keys in my hand.

"Perfect." I smiled at him as I erased his memory of our appearance. He turned and got in the car parked behind us where another representative was waiting. Emmett started for my car as they drove off. I smacked his arm.

"Do not touch my car, other than the handle."

Emmett just grinned at me. "And if I do?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Do you really want to know the consequences of that?"

He thought for a second. "Does it involve chains and whips?" he waggled his eyebrows.

"For you? Maybe," I winked. "Let's go!"

The boys got in their cars and followed me as we drove away from the city, where both houses and properties were bigger. About an hour later, I turned into our long and winding driveway. The estate sat on top of its own little hill and the driveway circled around it. It was a two story cream colored Queenslander style home with a stone arch off to the left of the façade; it led the way into the courtyard which held the six car garage. Large windows framed the front of the house with the second story windows peeking through the roof. I had hired a designer to come in and furnish the house so everything would be perfect, all ten thousand square feet of it. I breathed in the sweet country air as we got out.

_This will do very well for us._

"Each of you has another, less conspicuous, car in the garage and you can have any bedroom you desire except for the master. Let's see our house, shall we?"

The front door opened into a grand foyer, with a large crystal chandelier hanging, hundreds of little lights shining through the glass. Beyond the entryway sat the lavish living room. An oversized flat screen TV clung to the wall above the fireplace, with a plush gray sectional facing it. Pillows of every kind adorned the cushions. The windows overlooked the beautiful backyard; lounge chairs sat on the patio, facing the large salt water pool with its built-in waterfall. Everything in the house was top of the line and modern, but also very comfortable and livable. _Just the way I wanted it_. I smiled, pleased, as I took in all the changes that had been made. _Someone will definitely be getting a nice tip_. I found my way to the bedrooms, curious to see which the boys chose.

Jasper was standing in the middle of the first room. A built in bookshelf took up one entire wall, already filled with books and knickknacks. I was surprised at first, but quickly attributed this detail to Alice_._ On the opposite wall, heavy drapes hung off to the side of the massive windows. The walls were a muted brown, just dark enough to make the room cozy without absorbing all the light. A round table sat beneath the windows, adorned on either side with a high-back chair. All the furniture in the room was dark cherry wood with soft accents of light olive green. That same hue was copied throughout the room on the lamp shades, the bedding, and the large rug in the center of the room. What Jasper couldn't seem take his eyes off of was the bed sitting at an angle away from the wall. It was a king size four poster bed, complete with a gauzy white canopy tied to each column.

"It suits you." I whispered, taking it all in.

Jasper turned around. His eyes were black. He opened the floodgates to his emotions. Just because he couldn't control my feelings didn't mean he couldn't show me his. Comfort, longing, excitement, hope, and hunger swirled around me like spirits. However, the most prominent was pure and unfiltered _lust_. I stared at him as he made his way over to me. Even with no color, his eyes were bright and expressive. _Those eyes would be the death of me_.

"Come," I purred, "Let's go see what Emmett found."

We headed down the curved hall, passing by a bedroom decorated in more of a tropical feel. The furniture was oversized and made mostly of light tan wicker and glass. Dark blue and orange accessories were strewn throughout the room, completing the look. The hardwood from the hall did not continue in this room, and was instead replaced by light lush carpet that looked like sand. We passed a large guest bathroom, complete with stand-up shower and marble countertops, and an empty guest bedroom before we found Emmett.

He was lying on the bed, his hands behind his head and a grin on his face. The walls in this room were a medium blue, almost turquoise. Halfway down the wall, there was a beautiful medium wood chair-rail, and below that was what looked like original Victorian wainscoting. All the furniture was a bit lighter wood, which gave a nice contrast to the walls. There was a small sitting area to the left of the door. A loveseat sized couch with a chaise on one end was pushed into the corner, a square coffee table fitting into it nicely. Past that little cove, the ceiling opened up to the big bedroom. Everything was a shade of blue. Light and dark came together very well, with splashes of white to even it out.

"Nice choice, Em." Jasper nodded, looking around.

"Thanks. You go for the library?"

Jasper laughed, and brought his hand up to rub his neck. "Yeah."

"Thought so. Check this out," Emmett pressed a button and the mirror on the wall slid down, revealing a television framed into the wall. "Sweet, right?"

"Are you boys ready to see my room, or shall I go by myself?" I looked between the boys, and as their eyes black, a shiver went down my spine. _Oh the things we will do_. I vanished to the opposite side of the house with Emmett and Jasper on my heels. I stopped at the double-door and smiled, slowly opening it. _Ah, my oasis_. Everything was white. From the bed to the floor, and even all the little accessories on each surface were white. The bed sat right in the middle of the room with a radius of at least six feet in all directions. Directly behind the bed was a wall of windows, nearly floor to ceiling with white sheers pulled off to the sides. To the right was the bathroom all done up in glass and stainless steel. In the farthest corner on the left were a chaise lounge and a small couch with and an all glass coffee table.

"This is like heaven." Emmett whispered.

"Exactly."


	8. The Sweet Escape

**LPOV**

After only a week in our new house, and just ten days' worth of my blood in their systems, the boys' eyes changed color. We were sitting around the living room, watching all the old movies I could think of, when Emmett yelled out of nowhere.

"I can't see!" Jasper and I both looked at Emmett, confused and concerned. Emmett held his head in his hands, and he was walking blindly toward the wall. I ran to him at full speed to keep him from running into anything and guided him to the couch.

"Emmett, take your hands away from your eyes! Let. Me. See!" When he pulled his hands from his face, his eyes shocked me. They were almost milky white, but I could see the irises changing color beneath the film.

"My stars, I've never seen anything like it!" Jasper's voice cut into my shock like a steak knife. "What's happening to him?"

"It must be the blood." I tried to speak as calmly as I could. "The blood he drank from me is eating away the last of the animal blood; I suppose that just happened to be in his eyes. I assume when this is over they will be his natural color again." Emmett calmed considerably, reaching both hands out toward Jasper and I. We each took a hand and sat down next to him. He kept his eyes closed, his facial muscles twitching every now and then, indicating some pain. After thirteen minutes of heavy silence, Emmett opened his eyes again.

Jasper and I gasped simultaneously as I ran at full speed to my purse and retrieved my compact. I ran back to Emmett and knelt down in front of him. Opening the compact very slowly, I placed it at eye level so he could see what we saw.

His eyes widened, and he touched the skin below them gingerly, as if he were afraid of his own reflection. "They're blue. My god, they're really fucking blue!" Our laughter filled the living room quickly.

After we all settled down, Jasper's eyes glazed over. "My god! Maybe I should have started feeding you a day apart so we would have some time to prepare for this shit!"

Jasper, knowing what to expect, just sat very still for about fifteen minutes. He kept his eyes open, letting Emmett and I witness the transformation first-hand. First, the whites of his eyes seemed to expand, covering the iris and the pupil. I was immediately reminded of the milky eyes of the Volturi. Then, once the eye was completely covered, they turned a hue of blood-shot pink, obviously my blood making its arrival known. And very, very slowly, the cells in my blood dissolved that of the animal blood, flecking away the beautiful gold color, and slowly revealing the natural color underneath.

When Jasper's eyes locked immediately in mine, I was gone. Completely taken was I by the beautifully green hue; it looked like home to me.

After the boys got used to seeing themselves with their natural eyes, I deciphered that there would only be two more obstacles to encounter. The fangs would come last, and while painful, would not be so surprising. We hadn't talked about it, but they knew I had fangs, and they knew they were going to have to grow them. However, the last hurdle before the transition would be complete was, in my opinion, the greatest.

Their hearts would beat again.

I sat down with Jasper and Emmett and explained to them that a Daywalker's body worked differently than a Stone's. I carefully pointed out the differences between them and me, and showed them what it felt like to have your heart beat again, only without your own blood.

"It's simple, really. Think about a human's blood while it's still in the veins. It's very thin and it's blue, having never met oxygen. Once we draw that life force out of someone, it quickly mixes with oxygen and turns red before it starts to coagulate. Because our bodies no longer produce saliva or anticoagulants or any other fluids naturally, the blood congeals as it continues into our blood stream. Think of it as that our heart would now be pumping oil instead of water. I must warn you, if you're not used to being warm and feeling your pulse pound in your ears, it can be disorienting and overwhelming."

Both the boys nodded with understanding and I went to the bathroom to grab my kit that would complete their transformation. Once I sat down on the couch, I had the boys kneel in front of me each with their right arm out, wrist up. I then explained further. "I will drink some of your venom. It will mix immediately with my blood, and then I will pump it back into you with this." I gestured to the syringe on the table, half-full of saline. "Once that happens, it will wind its way back to your heart, and force its way in to the ventricles. It should only take about thirty seconds from the time the needle leaves your skin for all this to happen. Are you ready?" They nodded cautiously.

I took a deep breath. I knew that drinking their venom, though diluted now, was going to burn like acid as it went down my throat and coated my stomach before being absorbed into my blood. However, they didn't need to know that. I used a pre-packaged sanitary wipe to clean each of their wrists and the skin around my mouth, not wanting any cross contamination to destroy what I had worked so hard on. I dropped fang and gave the boys a seductive smile, needing their bodies to start the process that would produce adrenaline and make their hearts beat. I bit into Jasper's wrist first; knowing it would take him longer to change because he had drank from me last when I began the change.

_One mouthful of fire down, one to go_. I bit gently into Emmett's flesh and took a pull. His venom was slightly more diluted by my blood, but still intensified the burning inside me. While I was waiting for my body to absorb their venom to allow me to complete the change, I readied the syringes. I filled a second needle with saline, emptying it out half-way. I stuck each syringe into my left arm, just below the crease of my elbow. My blood mixed with the solution, and I could see tiny flecks of orange mixed in with it all. Once the syringes were full, I pulled them out of my arm and set them on the table. I pricked my index finger with a fang and closed one wound on each of their wrists, using my blood.

I readied both syringes in my hands and slowly inserted them into the remaining wounds, though they were already starting to heal. Before I pressed down on the plungers, I looked both men in the eyes, asking for the last time. "Are you sure? This is your last chance. You'll change back if we stop now." They both shook their heads vigorously, murmuring their consent. With that, I pumped the blood-venom mixture directly into their veins. After carefully removing the needle, I used my still-bleeding finger to heal the final wounds, thus completing this step in the process.

I looked at the clock and began counting. Twenty-four seconds into my counting, Jasper's eyes widened. At twenty-five seconds, Emmett locked his eyes on my face. At twenty-six seconds, the boys' faces turned a beautiful shade of scarlet. At twenty-seven seconds, the blush spread down to their chests and arms. At twenty-eight seconds, they each reached for me, and I took one hand each. At twenty-nine seconds, the silence was deafening. And, finally, at thirty seconds, a collective thud filled the room. And then another. And another. For five full minutes we sat and counted their heartbeats, beating in unison. When their heart rates strengthened to a normal fifteen or sixteen beats per minute, I smiled.

_God, I hoped the ending was that easy_.

A scream of agony filled the house. Jasper and I looked at each other for a split second before dashing off to find Emmett. We found him in the living room on his knees with his head in his hands. Quickly, I scanned the room.

"Emmett? What's wrong?" I cried, rushing over to him. He looked up at me with pain etched in his face. Red veins framed his dark eyes and his jaw dropped open. His canine teeth were slowly lengthening, coming to a sharper point.

"Your fangs. Don't fight it! I'm sorry, I should've warned you! I just thought you would know…" I wrapped my arms around him and hauled him to his feet. I walked him over to the couch where we sat down. I ran my hands through his hair and over his face, careful not to touch his sensitive mouth. He jerked as the next wave of pain hit, bumping his jaw against my hand. Emmett bolted upright, howling in pain. His face scrunched up as his fangs slowly descended further.

"Baby, I am so sorry!" I scrambled to pull him next to me.

"How do I make it thtop?" he turned around, gripping my arm, hard.

"No! Don't try to! You have to let it happen. Emmett, I'm so sorry!"

Jasper stayed back, watching his brother. Emmett tumbled to the ground, barely catching himself. He got up and staggered over to the furthest wall of the living room. He braced himself and hung his head as he screamed. I followed but stayed back a ways. _I hate being so powerless_. There was literally nothing I could do. He cried out in pain, slamming a fist against the brick.

"Fuck! Jasper! Do something!" I shrieked, my eyes filling with tears. He shook his head, coming out of whatever daze he was in and immediately a wave of calm swept the room. Emmett gasped in relief and groaned, resting his forehead against the cool brick. I ran over, rubbing his back.

"It's okay, baby. It only hurts the first time. Fuck, I can't believe I forgot about this!"

"Yeah, thankth babe," he tried to smirk but came out as a grimace as the pain shot through him. "Gah!" Emmett howled and his whole body shuddered.

"There's only so much I can do," Jasper frowned, aiming lethargy at his brother.

"Let me see," I gingerly lifted his top lip. "The worst is over. You scared me to death! I thought something had happened to you! I don't ever want to lose you." I guided him back to the couch. I sat down and pulled his head into my lap. Jasper sat on the other side of me. Emmett closed his eyes as Jasper's gift started to work completely. The dark veins started to fade as his eyebrows relaxed from the deep frown of his pain. He took a deep breath and the fangs slowly began to recede. I laid my head on Jasper's shoulder, watching Emmett fall asleep and his fangs disappear. I fell asleep as Jasper put his hand on my thigh and sent out another wave of indolence.

Someone jerked next to me and I woke with a start. I looked over at Jasper; his eyes widened suddenly and he tightened his grip on my thigh.

"Fuck," he groaned. I grabbed his hand, lacing our fingers. The veins appeared around his closed eyes.

"Don't fight it," I pleaded.

"I'm not," he said through gritted teeth.

"Squeeze my hand as hard as you need. You won't hurt me, darling," His grip immediately tightened, as he watched my reaction. When I said nothing, he used all of his force. I could feel the bones breaking in my hand. Breathing slowly, he swallowed a scream.

"Don't be brave, bro. It hurts like a motherfucker." Emmett got up and walked around the back of the couch, and proceeded to rub Jasper's shoulders soothingly. I grabbed his other hand, squeezing it in reassurance. Jasper threw his head back against the couch, howling in pain. I bit my lip to keep the tears at bay.

"I'm sorry," Jasper shook his hands trying to break away.

"No, it's not for me. I don't know how to help you." I kept hold of his hands. I looked up at Emmett. He shook his head. We were both at a loss at what to do. Jasper tore his hands from mine and stood up, Emmett still hanging onto his shoulders.

"Let him go," I said. He released his grip and Jasper stumbled forward, holding his head as he groaned. I glanced at Emmett, seeing the pain evident on his face. _Yes, we both know exactly what he is feeling._ I suddenly had an idea. I pushed up my sleeve as my fangs descended. I bit my wrist as I walked up behind Jasper.

"Jasper," I held my arm around him, the blood slowly dripping. "Drink. It might help," He hesitated, and then cried out, falling to his knees. "Baby, please?!" A drop of blood fell in front of him. He then grabbed my arm roughly, sinking his teeth into the wrist. I moaned as he started drinking. I ran my hand through his hair, distracting myself from the slight pain. Jasper held onto my arm with both hands as he continued to pull the blood into his mouth, gulping it down greedily. He groaned when the next shockwave of pain hit, and bit down harder. I cried out but didn't move.

"Jazz," Emmett warned.

"Don't," I held him back. "Don't stop him." My eyes closed from both the pain and pleasure. Emmett moved behind me, kissing my shoulder and wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Are you okay?" His beautiful face was full of concern.

"I'll be fine," I whispered.

Emmett placed his hand on my hip, steadying me as Jasper continued. I leaned back against him, gripping his thigh for support. He kissed my neck and licked my earlobe. It was the perfect distraction. _For a minute. _I grimaced as Jasper's teeth sliced even deeper. Suddenly, I felt light headed and closed my eyes, resting my head against Emmett's chest.

"He is going to drain you dry," he growled.

"No he won't; you can't kill me that easily."

After a few minutes, Jasper pulled my arm from his mouth and I cradled it to my chest. Emmett got a look at the big wound and huffed, the veins under his eyes protruded from the amount of blood on my arm and on the floor. Jasper sat back on his haunches, leaning his back against my legs. He wiped off his mouth and took a few deep breaths.

"Are you alright?" I touched his shoulder. He then stood up and turned around. The dark veins were almost gone along with the fangs. He cupped my face in his hand, and kissed me softly. I could taste my blood on his mouth.

"Thank you," he whispered.

I grabbed only a few bags from the trunk and headed into the house through the garage. I took my time, clicking my heels against the hardwood of the hallway. I set the bags on the kitchen counter, cocking my head at the sight before me. Jasper was lounging on the couch in the living room, his legs crossed at the ankle, reading a history book on the civil war.

"Why the hell are you reading that?"

He turned the page, barely even glancing up, "Because they hardly ever get the facts right."

"I will never understand why you want to relive the past."

"There are some good memories there."

I smiled, "I'll give you that much. Where's Emmett?"

Fingers brushed down my arm and a rush of warmth swept through me.

"There you are."

He chuckled, "I love being able to do that to you."

I squared my shoulders, ignoring his comment. Not yet. "Boys there are groceries in the car. I need you to go get them."

Jasper looked at me with a quizzical look on his face as he set down the book on the glass coffee table. "Are we having humans for dinner?"

"No, the food is for us."

Emmett clapped his hands on my shoulders. "No offense babe, but I don't feel like puking it back up."

I huffed. "You won't. You are through your transition. Your body has changed to adapt to new things, namely food. Unlike the way you were before, your body can now process food, in moderation. Helps us blend in with the humans. Go get the groceries and I will show you."

Jasper vanished and appeared with the rest of the bags, setting them all on the counter.

Emmett coughed, "Show off!"

I jabbed my elbow straight into his stomach, and smiled lovingly at Jasper. "Anxious?"

He smirked, "There's some things I miss."

We unloaded the groceries on the massive counter, spreading everything out so we could see it all. I took out a few utensils, laying them out next to the food. Emmett hopped up on the counter and picked up a knife, tossing it back and forth between his hands.

"Will it taste the same as we remember?" he asked.

I grinned. "Better. Everything is creamier, richer. Strawberries are more luscious than you remember. Chocolate is sweeter."

Emmett pressed his thumb against the tip of the knife and cursed, inspecting his digit as blood rushed to the cut.

"Yes, you can hurt yourself darling. Maybe you shouldn't play with this anymore." I took the knife away from him and took his thumb in my mouth, catching the escaping blood. His breathing picked up as I swirled my tongue around his finger.

"Babe, you doing that gives me reason enough to become a cutter." His eyes darkened, watching me.

I narrowed my eyes, and bit down on the thumb.

"Hey!" He jerked his hand away from his face, shaking it. "Down girl!"

Jasper chuckled. I laughed lightly as I reached for the pineapple. I made quick work of all the fruit I bought, chopping them into bite sized pieces. I scooped them all onto a large plate and took out a small pot. I moved to the other side of Emmett and turned on the stove. Placing the pot on the heating core, I grabbed the bars of Dove chocolate. I unwrapped one and broke off a small piece.

"Do you remember chocolate?"

"Not really, no." Jasper shook his head, leaning against the counter.

"Prepare to get your memory back." I dropped the little square of chocolate in his hand. He gently took the tiniest bite, chewing thoroughly.

"That's incredible," he popped the rest of it in his mouth. "It's like you can taste the actual cocoa plant."

I smirked, "And that's just the tip of the ice berg." I broke off another piece, handing it to Emmett. He popped it in his mouth with no hesitation. _That boy isn't afraid of anything._

I took the wrapping off the rest of the chocolate, put it all in the heated pot, and watched as the brown substance immediately began to melt.

I grabbed a large spoon, stirring it until all the chunks were gone.

"Try what you want, and then we're gonna dip it in chocolate," I gestured to the plate. They reached for the fruit and I smacked their hands back. "We're vampires, not animals. Use a fork. You do remember how to use one, right?" I handed them each a fork. Emmett took it in his fist and stabbed a piece of watermelon caveman style.

"And here I thought you'd only be like that in bed."

Emmett just grinned and he popped the piece of fruit into his mouth. "You have no idea what I'm like in bed Miss Rules-and-separate-beds."

My knife delicately pierced a bit of pineapple. I caught the boys watching closely so I gently took the bite, chewing slowly as I rested the flat of the blade against my lips. Choosing to ignore Emmett's comment, I smirked.

"Eat up boys."

Jasper moved to the other side of the counter, and sat on one of the bar stools to get better access. I stayed in front of the stove, reaching over Emmett who was still perched on the counter whenever I wanted more fruit. They dove in, each tasting fruit for the first time in a combined total of 224 years. I sat back watching them. Their faces while their taste buds came to life were priceless. _Sweet. Sour. Crisp. Soft._ I grabbed a strawberry and swirled it in the chocolate before popping it in my mouth. _So good_. Jasper speared one with his fork and followed suit.

He groaned. "I forgot how good food can be. Before, even my favorites just sounded repulsive."

"One more reason Daywalkers are so much better. If only Carlisle had told you… But, knowing him, I'm sure he thought he was protecting you."

They laughed.

We all took turns dipping the sweet fruit into the chocolate. Emmett dipped his fork in the chocolate and then swiped it across my shoulder. My jaw dropped at the heat that rushed through me from the temperature of the chocolate and the action itself. _Bold bastard_. He smirked as he leaned forward, licking the melted goodness off my skin, and leaving fire in its wake. I locked eyes with Jasper and his eyes darkened as he watched. Emmett grabbed my arm, pulling me to him at vampire speed. I smiled inwardly. They were slowly getting used to being completely free to be who and what they are. He then dropped the utensil, wrapping his strong arms around me. He kissed me softly. I could taste each fruit on his lips. _Amazing_. I kissed him a few more times then pulled away, leaving a hand on his thigh as we ate the rest of the fruit.

Emmett then dunked his fingers into the Dove substance and flicked them at his brother. Jasper stopped as brown flecks covered his face. I hid behind my hand, swallowing a laugh. He wiped his hand down his face, smearing the chocolate.

"You uhh, got something." I pointed to my chin.

Jasper's hard green eyes flicked to me. Not even a hint of a smile on his face. _So fucking hot when he's angry_. I bit my lips together and put my hand down. He turned and snatched some fruit from the plate. Emmett watched his every move with a smirk on his face.

"What are you going to do, Jazz?"

Jasper looked back towards me and winked, pelting Emmett with a large chunk of cantaloupe. It left a nice orange stain on his white shirt.

"Yeah baby, that's what I thought!" Emmett laughed, grabbing a handful of fruit. He picked up the plate for a shield as Jasper threw a couple pieces, one after another, at vampire speed. I squeaked and ducked out of the way, but not fast enough, apparently. I felt something cold land on my back. I turned on my heel, facing them. They both started snickering.

"Sure, hit the one who's not armed!" Reaching into the sink, I grabbed the rinds of the melons, chucking them at both the boys. _Bad move_. I covered my face as a rain of various fruit came down on me. I fell to the floor and snagged them all, tossing them in the air, praying I hit one of them. I gathered the ruined pieces in my hands and kicked off my heels. I stood up cautiously, weighing my options. Emmett laughed as a blueberry hit his shoulder and proceeded to roll down his now multicolored shirt. He threw a hunk of banana at Jasper who was now on his feet, hitting his stomach. I backed up out of sight, watching them as they continued to fight. I flew around the perimeter of the kitchen to the other archway until I stood behind Jasper. Without warning, his arm flashed out, reaching for me. I screamed and sidestepped to the other side of him. Quickly, I flattened my hands on his head, smashing the fruit into his blonde hair. I massaged it all in to be sure it stuck. He groaned and snagged my arm.

"Jasper!" I gasped.

He pulled me against him, my back to his wet chest. He took the fruit in his hand and reached down my shirt, smashing it against my breasts. _Ugh_. I shivered at the cold. Jasper then gripped my shoulders, ducking behind me as we were pelted with all the leftover fruit.

"Emmett!" I shrieked and everything stopped. It was quiet for a split second then Emmett threw his head back laughing. I giggled, holding onto Jasper who started snickering. Before long, we were all laughing so much it was almost hard to breathe. I quieted when arms circled around me.

"I love you guys," Emmett snickered, kissing my messy hair.

"I love you too," Jasper and I said at the same time with smiles on our faces. We pulled away from the hug, our skin sticking to clothing and other skin.

"Okay, we have got to clean up. I feel gross." I picked off a piece of watermelon off of Emmett's neck. He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it off, swiping away the rest of the mush. My gaze dropped down his muscled chest while my slow heart skipped a beat. Jasper gingerly pulled my shirt off, his warm hand brushing away the medley of fruit squished in my cleavage.

I swallowed a moan.

"You don't have to be quiet, darlin'." he licked my neck, just above the pulse point where they'd fed from me. I shivered and pulled Emmett closer so I was sandwiched between them, Jasper behind me and Emmett in front. He slid his hand down my arm, only to stop halfway because of the fruit that was stuck to me.

"This is not the good kind of sticky, c'mon, let's get clean." I patted his arm and tugged the boys down the hall. I was just about to walk into the hall bathroom when Jasper turned me around quickly, kissing me as he guided me backward towards Emmett's room. I ran my hand through his hair, and laughed at the gooey mess. I giggled into his mouth just as he picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I tugged at his shirt and pulled it off, dropping it somewhere along the way. I heard Emmett turn on the water in the shower as Jasper kissed down my shoulder. Jasper set me on me on my feet and I slowly unbuttoned my jeans, knowing I had both of their attention. I shimmied out of the tight fabric and tossed them over my shoulder.

Putting my hands on my hips, I looked at my boys. "Am I the only one getting in?"

Immediately they dropped their pants and then stopped when they caught eyes. I looked between them amused. Then Emmett hitched his chin and pulled down his black boxers. Standing at attention, his cock was long and strong. I bit my lip, as I turned towards Jasper. He didn't seem fazed at all as he took hold of his gray-striped boxers and pushed them down. Jasper's manhood was slightly shorter but also slightly thicker. I shuddered and my mouth watered. Jasper headed straight for the shower. Emmett looked at me with fire in his eyes. Emmett unclasped my bra, tossing it in the sink, and we joined Jasper in the oversized shower. I laughed as I stepped into his arms and pulled chunks of fruit from his hair. Jasper smirked at me, the water darkening his hair. A rush of warmth swept through me. I could never get enough of that look.

I seized the bottle of shampoo and poured some in my hand. Jasper dipped his head forward and I slowly worked in the Old Spice. He groaned as my nails scratched his scalp. I ran my hands through his hair, getting all the knots and fruit out. He moved back into the spray of water and tipped his head back, peacefulness and love flowing through him as the water washed away the soap. He squeezed his hair, wringing it out. He took the shampoo from the shelf and motioned with his finger for me to turn.

Obediently, I turned my back to him, and watched Emmett on the far side of the shower. Jasper squeezed some into his palm. Emmett's eyes watched his movement. "Lil, can you pass me that?"

Wordlessly, I handed him the shampoo, and he took to washing his own hair. Immediately Jasper's hands started to massage my skull. I moaned, letting my body relax beneath his touch. He raked his fingers through my long hair, massaging in conditioner and meticulously working out the knots, before gently moving me underneath the shower-head. I shivered as the hot water cascaded down my body and through my hair. Emmett reached behind me, grabbing the body wash from the built-in shelf. He poured a generous amount in his hands and rubbed them together, working up a rich lather. Jasper took the bottle from him and quickly rid his body of the sticky mess. Emmett smoothed his hands over my shoulders and down my back. Jasper stepped up to us and cupped my face in his hands, kissing me softly. His lips were slick over mine, and the mixed taste of his mouth mixed with chocolate was intoxicating. I held onto his arms, kissing him passionately, trying to put every feeling straight into him. He kissed me a few more times, softly, before pulling away and stepping out of the steamy shower.

Emmett's then fingers took their time to release the tension in my back. I moaned, closing my eyes. He touched every inch of my flesh and then proceeded to knead my butt cheeks. Emmett pulled me against him, his erection making itself known. His slick hands moved over my chest, rubbing my breasts in soft, slow circles. I cried out as his thumbs tweaked my nipples. They hardened at once and he chuckled, dropping a kiss just below my ear. He soaped up my stomach, his hands traveling dangerously low. I squirmed against him and he tightened his hold on me, wrapping an arm beneath my breasts and squeezing me around the ribs. A single finger trailed down my stomach before dipping inside my folds. I honed every bit of self-control I had and snagged the body wash from the shelf, pulling away from him.

"Turn around, dirty boy." I commanded.

He grinned before doing as he was told. I poured a bit of the soap in my hands and rubbed them over the muscles in his back, taking in the way each of them moved when he did. I caressed his lower back and squeezed his ass.

He laughed. "I knew you liked my ass."

I kissed his shoulder. "I love every part of you, even your craziness and your sarcastic mouth."

Emmett stilled and then sighed. "Rose never did."

"I know." I grabbed his arm, turning him around. "Don't be ashamed of who you are. I wouldn't have you any other way."

"I'm not ashamed because I have you." He gripped my thighs and hoisted me up to his waist. I smiled, running my soap covered hands over his strong chest. The tip of his cock teased my folds and I gasped, closing my eyes. _It's been so long._ His soft lips brushed against mine before he sank me down onto him. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he filled me completely, never breaking the kiss. Emmett controlled the pace, moving my body as he needed. I rolled my hips against him, meeting every slow thrust. His tongue slipped past my lips and teased mine, brushing against each other in slow languid movements. My orgasm crept up on me and I rocked against him as it broke through. I moaned into his mouth and his grip on me tightened. He thrust into me a little faster and replaced my moans with his as he came deep inside me. He shuddered against me, kissing me a few more times.

"I love you, Liliana Cuthridge." His voice broke into the peaceful silence.

"I love you too, Emmett McCarty."

He set me on my feet and we finished cleaning ourselves. We stepped out of the shower to find robes, still warm from the dryer. I smiled. _Jasper_. We headed out into the living after Emmett changed into dark blue plaid pajama pants. Jasper was sitting on the couch in almost matching pants, only his were green. I smiled and continued on into the kitchen, grabbing glasses and my favorite bottle of wine. I sat between the boys, and handed them each a glass.

"That's right, we can get drunk now!" Jasper expertly uncorked the bottle, pouring us each a bit of the red yumminess. He put the bottle on the coffee table before leaning back and leisurely resting an arm around my shoulders.

"Without the hangovers at that." I murmured in agreement, gingerly touching my glass to his before taking a sip.

"Do you think we could get some sweet tea?" his eyes flashed to mine.

I nodded before resting my head on his shoulder. "Already in the fridge."

"Beer?" Emmett spoke up.

I laughed, "Yes baby, that too." I snuggled into them and Emmett turned on a movie. We watched without really seeing for a while before anyone spoke again.

"Can we have dinner? Like make a bunch of food and try it to see if we like it?" Emmett was excited, and things had the tendency to get broken whenever Emmett got excited. Jasper frowned.

"I don't know how to cook, Em. And Lily shouldn't have to." Jasper was so sweet.

"Well I don't _have_ to cook for you. We can go out to eat you know. Maybe even go dancing, or go see some live music?"

The boys didn't like jazz music.

I had taken them down to the French Quarter over the weekend and exposed them to real blues music. You could sit back in a cozy booth and watch the people sway together; letting the emotion and the raw power take them over completely. The bass line would rattle the windows and send vibrations to places you didn't even know you wanted them. There was heartbreak and angst and pure anger in some of the Southern blues music. My favorites were The Coasters, Buddy Miller, and Jace Everett. I would do "Bad Things" with him any day of the week.

I decided the boys needed a special night. The last week had been extremely hard on them. The transition was completed, and it was a rough time for all of us. I knew exactly what would cheer them up. When I mentioned hitting a wine tasting, they were less than enthused. When I mentioned it was my own personal brand of wine, they brightened up a bit. There's one wine only vampires partake in, and my boys were going to _love_ it. When we went home, we all went to my room, and after one chaste kiss for each of them, it was lights out.

I had never felt safer than in between my rock and my hard place.


	9. Desire Never Leaves

**LPOV**

Jasper had already gone by the time I woke up. When I looked over and saw Emmett breathing deeply next to me, I couldn't help but smile. I rolled all the way over and leaned into him, inhaling the wondrous scent of his skin. He chuckled slightly, and whispered to me with his eyes still closed.

"Just can't get enough of me, can you?" Before he could open his eyes I perched on top of him, slowly kissing his pecks and then moving to his collarbone. When I had him breathing heavy, I stopped and leaned up to his ear.

"I don't think I will ever get enough of you, Emmett McCarty." I then ran from him as fast as inhumanly possible. When I got to the bathroom, I shut the door and locked it. Then I thought better of that action; if Emmett really wanted in, he would simply break the door down, and then I would have to replace it. After unlocking the door I stepped into the shower, pressing the button for rainfall on the console. One great thing about having so much money is you can afford to keep your water heater on a constant cycle. _No more waiting for showers to warm up_. The water fell from small grates in the ceiling of the shower stall. It moved slightly, swaying back and forth, and varied in pressure to be more like real rain. I heard the door of the bathroom open over the noise of the spray and poked my head around the frosted glass. Emmett stood in front of the closed door with the veins in his eyes showing, his fangs slightly extended.

I was immediately excited, but it would have ruined my bad girl image to let him know he could affect me so easily. I bent back into the shower and closed my eyes against the water. After only a few seconds, large hands encircled my waist and hot breath assaulted my ear. "It's not nice to run away from a man who could punish you for just such an act." I snorted a very unladylike laugh and turned to face him.

"It's not nice to threaten a woman who is the reason you exist, Emmett. Now, apologize to me."

The veins in his eyes receded along with his fangs, and he knelt down in front of me, his head now level with my belly button. "I would never threaten you, Madam." I started to unravel when he called me Madam. As aggressive as Emmett was, I knew if anyone could tame him, it would be me. A plan for our day started to form in my head, and I was distracted from Emmett's groveling.

"Would you allow me the privilege of taking you out tonight?" His eyes begged me for forgiveness, and his body begged me to swallow him whole. In the end, I snapped into character, and did neither.

"If you are good, I will permit you to touch me beyond the last time. Until then, say not a word. Get dried off, and get dressed." With that, I stepped out of the shower onto the plush bathroom mat. Emmett said nothing, as instructed, and I walked out of the bathroom into the backyard. Our pool was salt water, and it was heated. I dove into the deep end and held my breath until I emerged on the other end of the pool. After wrapping up in a towel, I headed off to my bedroom to select a suitable outfit for our daytime rendezvous.

I donned one of my favorite corsets: it was white with black polka dots and a red belt adorned the waist. It looked enough like a shirt to wear in public, but went nicely with the dominant role I would be playing at every opportunity throughout the day. After slipping into my tightest skinny jeans and my favorite black polka dot stilettos, I was ready to go. It then occurred to me that I had yet to see Jasper this morning. _Odd_. I called for Emmett, and he appeared within seconds; completely dry and fully dressed. _Good boy_.

"Where is Jasper, Emmett? You may speak." The corners of his lips rose slightly before he controlled his expression.

"He left a note on the kitchen island, Madam. He's gone to the Country Music Museum and shopping for the day. I do believe his note said something about giving us some more alone time." This time he didn't try to hide his smirk. I smiled slightly and thanked him. I sat down in front of my vanity and plugged in my straightener. While I was contemplating pin-up versus pornstar makeup, I noticed Emmett in my mirror. He hadn't left, though I'd finished speaking to him. That's when I realized I had not dismissed him.

I turned around on the short stool and he neither looked angry or anxious. _Ah, we're playing along._ I sauntered up to him and ran my hand down his chest, forcing him to look at me. Once his eyes were locked firmly with mine, I cupped the front of his jeans harshly. Aside from a swift intake of breath, he said nothing. I was proud.

I quickly turned around and sat back down at the vanity. I picked up the straightener and passed it through my bangs before flipping them away from my face. "You may go, Emmett. Have the car ready and waiting in twenty minutes." With that, he turned and walked away, not even blinking an eye.

As I had requested, the car was parked in front of the house, idling. Emmett sat in the driver's seat and the passenger door was swung open for me. Wordlessly, I climbed in and plugged in the GPS. I input the address of our destination and instructed Emmett to drive.

_One hour later._

After forty miles on the I-24, we took the exit for Clarksville, and followed the GPS's directions as it guided us through the town. A few minutes later and we were on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard. I indicated with my hand where Emmett should pull in, and as we got out, I heard him mutter his first word.

"Fuck."

I had brought Emmett to Frederick's to tease him a little as payback for his comment in the shower earlier that morning. He would be forced to watch me buy "leave-little-to-the-imagination" outfits, and would be forced to keep his hands to himself. I had two specific outfits in mind for this evening, and this was the only store where I could buy them.

I walked in and the manager greeted us without looking up. I cleared my throat to get her attention, and her eyes bulged when she saw me.

"Anna! Oh my goodness, woman! You've not aged a day! How long has it been? Three years?" I had been coming to this store since it was a privately owned lingerie shop in the sixties. This woman had worked here the entire time, and during each visit I compelled her to think my name was Anna, and that had last shopped here two years ago. Most of it was true, but I had been doing this for close to fifty years. Adele was closing in on her mid-seventies now, but apparently she still remembered me.

"Adele! No, it's only been two years, but it does feel like longer doesn't it?!" I used all the proper garb and chatter to divert her from the fact that I still looked twenty-five. I quickly summoned Emmett, whispering below human thresholds that the game was off. _For now_. "Adele, this is my husband, Emile. We got married not long after the last time I was here!"

Emmett's eyes widened slightly, which was only perceptible to me, before he smiled at the old woman. "Hallo, Adele. Is so nice to met you. Anna talk about you nonstop on way here." His French accent was right on, and Adele didn't even bat an eyelash at him.

"What can I get for you, Anna? We have a new shipment of corsets in. Would you like to see them?" Her smile knocked about twenty years off her age. I smiled and shook my head, already knowing what I wanted.

"No thank you, Adele. I would like to see the Hollywood Dream lace corset; size thirty-two, strapless, in navy and white, please. And if you have a moment, pull me something down from the Guilty Pleasures collection, please. Preferably something with leather, or metal." Now anyone could tell Emmett's eyes were wide. I whispered to Emmett that he needed to back up so Adele could wrap my things away from his prying eyes. As soon as the items were on the counter, I could feel Emmett drift closer. I turned to him and shook my head once left and back to the right. The movement would have been imperceptible to a human but Em read me loud and clear. _No_.

After compelling Adele quickly, I bought the corsets without trying them on and we left the store. Emmett followed closely behind me, trying to peer into my red bag. Luckily, the tissue paper prevented him from ruining the surprise. When we returned to the car, I got in without speaking to him and input a new address on the GPS. I didn't have to tell him what to do this time. Emmett settled in for a long drive, and so was startled when we made a left only half a mile later.

He smiled as he read the sign of our destination. _Fairfield Inn & Suites_. I smiled too, knowing how much pleasure I would be filled with in the course of the next few hours. My smile turned into a giggle when I thought about my play on words.

**EmPOV**

I had been told to sit on the bed and wait. "Like a good boy," she had said. I sat there and thought about all the naughty things I would do to that woman if she would let me. So by the time she opened the bathroom door of our suite, I was nice and ready for her.

I was ready for her body to be on mine, I was ready to finally make love to her the way I had thought about doing since I first laid eyes on her. I was not ready, however, for the outfit she waltzed out of the bathroom in. What there was of it was black leather, and the rest seemed to be made of black dental floss. _Fuck me_.

The corset was like a second skin on her, tightened to the extreme. There were pieces of black lacy ribbon running through grommets all over her body. I wanted to untie every single bow with my teeth. She faced me and lifted one foot to the side of my thigh. There was a small slit down the middle of the matching leather thong. I thought it was strange until she grabbed onto the bed poster and bent backward, spreading her legs in the process. In a move only a vampire could pull off, she continued bending toward the floor and put her other foot on the bed at the same time. With her speed she was able to catch herself, and was doing a backbend with me in the middle, her center placed on display before me.

I had gone along with her demands all day, never once hesitating. But I decided at that moment that I couldn't hold out any longer; I grabbed her hips and buried my face between her thighs. _Jesus has risen._ She tasted sweeter than anything I had ever eaten and her essence was more beautiful than that of any flower. One hand left her hip and traveled to my lap. Without my strength, I would have fumbled forever just to undo my pants. As it was, I just ripped the fly completely off, and my dick sprung free of its constraints.

Her body bent almost into a circle, she could see my actions, and without breaking the contact from her core to my face, she sprung up and pushed me down onto the bed, straddling my mouth. Her hips bucked against me, and I tried to concentrate on fucking her with my tongue while deftly undoing the ties on her bodice.

**LPOV**

I was riding his face into oblivion; I could feel my impending release what seemed like just seconds away. But as Emmett tried to remove the god forsaken outfit, he lost focus and I lost my orgasm. Frustrated, I ripped the corset off of myself in shreds, leaving myself bare to Emmett while he buried his tongue inside me. I thought about my dream from the previous night: his arms around me, his hand on the underside of my thigh, his fangs embedded in my shoulder. I fisted my hands in his hair and proceeded to fall apart on top of him.

My vision seemed to blur, and when my eyes next focused, I was pinned under Emmett's massive frame as he rubbed his huge cock along my folds, drenching himself in my release. The grunts coming from him and my soft whimpers were almost inaudible, but in my post-orgasmic state it was as though we were screaming out cries of passion.

Before I had time to fully come down, Emmett sheathed himself inside me, burying his dick to the hilt. I wasn't expecting it and I cried out in pain as he bottomed out inside me. It was a glorious kind of pain, one that only enhanced the pleasure. I tried to lift my hips to meet his as he thrust into me, but his size made it hard to maneuver at all, and he continued with his frantic pace. Suddenly we were rolling and I was on top of him.

I started riding his rock-hard body for all I was worth, grinding and bouncing; seeking out a spot I knew I was there somewhere. When he flexed his hips to push more deeply into me, I found myself face down on his chest, slowly grinding my pelvis into his. Words were not necessary at that moment: his heavy panting and my fast-paced breathing filled the air. With each thrust of my hips forward, a small grunt rolled from our mouths. It was so raw and primitive. Emmett sat up and scooted us backward; his back lean against the headboard and my chest pressed to his. Our pace began to pick back up.

"Lily," His voice was low, and rough. "I need to cum. Please, baby, let me cum inside you?" Why he had asked, I had no idea. And where my reply came from was just as mysterious.

I threw my head back, braced myself on his shins, and started bouncing faster, earning a growl from him. Just as he tensed up to control himself again, I screamed out, "Cum, Emmett! Cum deep inside me, please?!" My voice was so strangled my own ears barely recognized it. His roar of passion was unlike anything I had ever heard, and my orgasm snuck up on me, mingling with his release, sending me into a zombie-like state of exhaustion.

When I opened my eyes, there was a new day pouring in through the window. My head was on Emmett's chest, his arm curled protectively around me. Whether he was asleep or awake was not clear. A small smile formed on his lips and he took a deep breath. When I stretched my body next to his, I understood why. In our haste to find liberation in each other, we had not even taken the time to remove my underwear. _Thank god they're crotchless._


	10. I Don't Want To Win

**LPOV**

I fumbled with my keys slightly while trying not to drop my ice cream cone. Emmett had told me he had an errand to run after we returned from our night away, so I had dropped him off at the shopping center downtown and hit Baskin Robbins before heading home. Jasper smiled at me as I came in the door. I cocked my head to the side. The boy is always up to something, but then again, they were both like that. If Jasper wasn't doing something naughty, Emmett definitely was.

"What?" I narrowed my eyes with a small smirk on my lips. If I hadn't had vampire eyesight I wouldn't have seen him move. He appeared directly in front of me.

"Missed a spot darlin'." The dark veins around his eyes rushed to the surface as his fangs descended. He leaned forward, licking my chin. His fingers ghosted the other side of my neck, cupping my jaw. I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes. Jasper dropped a kiss on my pulse then pierced the skin with his fangs. I gasped, and clutched onto his arms, my sweet treat falling to the floor forgotten. He pulled me to him as he continued to feed.

"Where's Em?" I gasped out, though I already knew.

"Gun." his voice was muffled.

"Still?" I struggled to pull away, looking at Jasper. His hair hung in his eyes as he licked the blood from one of his fangs.

"He called and said he was getting more candy at the store." His eyes slowly shifted back to normal but his fangs stayed out for a few more seconds as he cleaned them.

I chuckled. "He's just lucky he can't gain weight." Jasper shot out lust as I drug my finger down his chest, feeling the muscles flex beneath my digit.

"Are you trying to sway me, boy?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Don't demean me woman. You know I'm a man. Your man." he pulled me flush against him, his erection pressing into my hip. "And we both know you don't need to be swayed."

I smiled, capturing his lips in a slow, sweet kiss. Jasper threaded his hands in my hair, his tongue begging for entrance. I let him in and moaned, tasting my blood. He scooped me up bridal style, and raced us to his bedroom at vampire speed. He gently laid me down on the bed, never breaking the kiss. I tugged at his shirt as he climbed on top of me. With one hand, he ripped it open and tossed it away while the other found my breast. I sighed in exasperation and he chuckled, moving his kisses down my jaw.

"Jasper, keep ruining clothes and we'll soon have nothing to wear." I ran my hands over his smooth chest.

"And that's a problem?" he murmured into my neck, licking the skin.

I felt a rush of warmth and rubbed my legs together, trying to release the ache growing in my lower belly. Jasper immediately reached for my tank, damn near tearing it off. My bra was tossed off after, landing somewhere in the room. His warm hand enveloped my breast, tweaking the bud with his thumb. I leaned up to lick the shell of his ear. Jasper moaned, placing kisses down the valley between my breasts and over my stomach. He dipped his tongue underneath the top of the pants and when I squirmed, he smiled. He pressed his forearm over my stomach to hold me down as he slowly unbuttoned my jeans and pulled the zipper down, kissing the newly exposed skin. I lifted my hips so he could pull them down. Jasper ghosted his lips along my legs as he went, leaving goose bumps in his wake. He dropped the jeans over the side of the bed before stalking back to me. I smirked, moving up the bed, away from him. He smiled, shaking his head. I hooked my toes in the pocket of his jeans, stopping him. He immediately stripped them off, tossing them over the side.

"Better, darlin'?"

I glanced down, "Almost."

Keeping his eyes locked on mine, he stepped out of his boxers and pulled off my panties. He nudged my legs apart with his knee, and then leaned down to lick the inside of my thigh. I brushed the top of my foot against his thick erection, eliciting a low moan from deep in his chest. His tongue dove into my core, lapping up the juices. I gasped, gripping the sheet tightly in my fist. He gently bit at my clit and I jerked, my fingers going through the dark green sheet.

"Fuck," I mumbled, shaking my hand free of the bedding. He pushed his tongue as far as it would go and flicked against the slick walls. I moaned loudly, reaching for him.

"Jasper, please!" My hand ran through his blonde hair, tugging him up toward me. He resisted, pinching the inside of my thigh. I yelped and let go, lying back against the bed. His finger joined his mouth, rubbing tight circles against my clit as his tongue lavished the inside. My orgasm was approaching fast and hard.

"Jasper, I- please!" I begged, bucking my hips against him.

"Huh uh," he mumbled, sending vibrations straight to my core.

I screamed as my orgasm slammed through my center then raced through the rest of my body. His fingers stopped but his tongue continued, milking me completely. Had I been human, I would've been incredibly weak after such an exerting orgasm.

"Jazzzzzzzz." I whispered breathlessly.

He ran his nose across the tops of my legs before making his way up to my face, licking and kissing as he went. I pulled Jasper tight to me, capturing his lips with mine, this time hot and needy. I reached down, wrapping my hand around his member. _Soft skin yet hard as steel._ I traced my thumb over the tip and he inhaled sharply. I smiled into the kiss and repeated the movement. He broke the kiss and grabbed my hand, moving it above my head. He positioned himself right at my entrance.

"Look at me, Liliana." Jasper said softly. I opened my eyes, staring immediately into orbs of green. They were full of longing, hope and…love? _Could it be?_

"I want you to watch me make love to you."

I smiled, brushing his hair from his face. He pushed inside and I moaned; our eyes locked in a deep exchange. He moved his hips at a slow rhythm; lust, love, and adoration permeating the air. My fingers traced intricate designs into his back and he picked up the pace little by little, stoking the fire.

"Lily," he murmured. "My Lily," his hips shifted, hitting a new spot. My body burned in such sweet torture.

"God, Jasper," I moaned, raking my hand roughly through his hair.

He slammed into me, harder than before. I arched my back, meeting his thrusts with my own.

"Jasper," I gasped, the spring coiling, threatening to send me on a sweet release.

"Come with me, lover." He kissed my cheek, breathing heavily into my ear. He increased the pace, slamming his hips into mine. I cried out as my orgasm took over, sending me into oblivion. His body tensed and he moaned, spilling inside me as he shuddered. Jasper slowed his movements and kissed my shoulder as he pulled away.

"I love you," I whispered. He didn't hear.

**JPOV**

I collapsed onto my back, pulling the sheet up to my waist. Lily slid over and curled into my side, resting her head on my chest. I smiled softly, running a hand through her dark hair. She grabbed my arm and kissed the inside of my wrist, all the while gently caressing her fingers over my skin.

She suddenly gasped, surprise and pride exuding from her where only satisfaction had been before.

"What?" I sat up in alarm, taking her with me. A smile crossed her face as she stared at my arm.

"Look!" I glanced down.

"Yes darlin, I have-" My shock flew through me on high-speed and I flew to the bathroom as soon I realized what she was excited about. Standing at the oversized mirror above the sink, I stared at my complexion. _Gone._ They were finally gone. Tentatively, I ran my fingers up my arm and onto my chest, watching, making sure I was touching me. _That this was me_.

For so long I kept them with me. Their screams when I ended their lives. Their questions when they awoke from the change. The promises made by Maria which were never kept.

_Every bite and every scar was gone from my skin_. No more evidence of the past I regretted. Finally I could let it all go and just be. Just be Jasper Whitlock. Warmth dripped down my cheek. Quickly, I wiped away the tear of blood and watched Lily in the mirror, slowly walking towards me. I turned just as she reached me. Her eyes held mine in a fierce embrace as she slid her hands up and down my arms.

"I told you they would go away," she voiced into the otherwise quiet room.

I pulled her to me and buried my face in her hair.

"Thank you." I cupped her face, guiding her lips to mine. I poured out everything I couldn't say. Love, relief, shame, and hope. She moaned against my lips, and instantly I needed her again. I grabbed her thighs and hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around my waist as I maneuvered her against the wall. I shifted her around, plunging her down on my cock. We moaned simultaneously. So warm and tight. Lily wrapped her arms around my neck, digging her nails into my skin as I thrust into her. She kissed and licked my neck, nipping at my ear, causing me to growl. That was the only part of the Stone me left, and it did it for her every time. I held her hips against the wall and picked up the pace, my length invading every inch of her. I smoothed my hand up her flat stomach, then captured her full breast in my hand, pulling back slightly to brush her nipple with my thumb. Her eyes closed as she moaned. Lily pulled herself up and away from me, before crashing back down. _Fucking naughty girl_.

I knew my release was merely seconds away. I felt the veins around my eyes protrude and my fangs drop down. I would never get enough of this woman. I rushed us over to the bed and laid her down, never once altering my rhythm. She buried her hands in her hair, pulling the strands taught and moaning as I continued pounding into her.

_Never enough._ I gritted my teeth as our skin slammed together, making a beautiful noise.

She whimpered, "Jazz."

"Come on baby, come for me."

Lily cried out, gripping the sheets as her core throbbed against my dick, covering me in her release. _So hot. So wet._ I nearly screamed as my orgasm shot through me and into her. She leaned on her forearms as I slowed, pulling me to her. Her warm, slick lips captured mine in a slow, burning kiss. With my tongue still inside her mouth and my slowly-softening shaft still firmly inside her core, I managed to move us up the bed toward the mountain of pillows. I moved off of her, collapsing onto them. She smiled at me softly as she did the same. We lay face to face for what seemed like hours, but could have only been minutes. I then remembered what she'd said before.

"Lily?" She quirked her eyebrow. "I love you too."

It had only been a day since my first encounters with my loves, but already I felt like our little arrangement was meant to be. I was in such a good mood that I decided to finally make good on my promise of a wine tasting. I selected the finest and best looking year that I could before returning home with my spoils.

"I should have already asked you this, but have either of you fed from a human before?" I glanced between my two boys as I entered the house. Emmett's bright blue eyes met mine from his spot on the couch, video game controller in hand.

"I drained my singer the moment I smelled her. But since then I haven't. Only you, if that counts." His tongue danced out, wetting his bottom lip.

"That's okay. I won't force that on you. If you choose to live on animal blood, that's fine. However, human blood makes you stronger, so that's definitely something to consider." I replied.

"I'll try anything once!" He grinned.

I smiled back. "That's what I like about you, baby." Jasper walked in the room, drinking sweet tea, of course. He looked at me over the tall glassware.

"I have, but not for a long, long time." I nodded, turning my gaze away from him. If I wasn't careful, I could really fall for those green eyes of his. I turned behind me and opened the door again.

"Come in, my dear." I called out. A petite but busty blonde walked in the door smiling. They looked at her appreciatively before glancing at me.

"This is…" I turned towards her, frowning. "Well, her name doesn't matter. I want you two to compel her. I don't care what you ask of her, only that you make sure she does exactly what you want. After that, maybe you can have a taste. Emmett, why don't you go first darling?"

He set the controller on the coffee table and got up with a determined look on his face. He moved in front of the girl, and I stepped aside, watching him. Jasper took his place on the couch, sipping his drink. Emmett glanced around the room before taking a deep breath.

Looking into her eyes, he spoke. "Shut the door and lock it," he said firmly. The girl turned around and closed the front door before flipping the dead bolt. A shit eating grin crossed Emmett's face and I had to laugh.

"Keep going," I urged. "Feel it. Control her. Find the difference between talking and compelling." He stared deeply into her eyes. Her pupils dilated and I smiled. "Feel that? You are in control. Tell her to do exactly what you want."

A look of mischief crossed his face before he turned back to the blond. "Walk backwards and cluck like a chicken." I stifled a laugh as the girl did as he asked.

"That's so demeaning. Worst hypnotist ever," Jasper snickered. Emmett kept going with the silly antics for awhile, getting a feel for it. I walked up behind him, running my hand through his hair as the girl finished his last request.

"You are a good looking man, Emmett. Use that to your advantage. Use her attraction against her. It's a weakness and a danger to be so attracted to someone," My lips brushed his ear as I scratched my nails against his scalp. Emmett's eyes fluttered closed. I licked the shell of his ear and his eyes snapped open.

"Remove your shirt and get on your knees." She complied. "Put your hair up so I can see your beautiful neck."

Sex dripped from the commands, each stronger than the last. I shivered. Even drinking only animal blood, he would be an extremely powerful vampire in a few years. I walked over, trailing my finger down the middle of his back. "That's enough." The girl smiled at him before stepping back. Emmett sat back on the couch. I joined him by sitting on his lap. One hand rested on my waist, a finger sliding under my shirt, drawing slow circles.

"Jasper, your turn."

He moved in front of her, confident in his movements. "What is it you fear most in this world?"

Her eyes dilated instantly. Of course Jasper was a natural. Having been in the wars and dealing with hordes of newborn vampires had prepared him for this decades ago.

"Being forgotten," was her soft answer. Watching him command her actions was easily one of the hottest things I've seen. He did it with such ease. His jaw set like he wasn't afraid to hurt her if she didn't do as he pleased. Between his actions and Emmett's breath against my neck, a rush of warmth washed through my body. I rubbed my legs together. Jasper's eyes flicked to my movement. No doubt they could smell the arousal.

"Now hold your breath," he gazed at her. A few precious seconds passed and the girl was struggling but she wouldn't break his command. I walked up behind Jasper, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"That's enough, Jasper," I slipped my hand under his shirt, feeling the soft skin of his tight stomach.

"You may breathe," he commanded. He looked at me with the same determined look. I licked his bottom lip and his arm snaked around me, anchoring me to his side.

"Girl," I snapped my fingers, grabbing her attention. I pulled the strings in her mind, bending her to my will. "Get dressed and get out. You went out for a walk and got lost. When you get to the corner, take out your cell phone and call a cab to take you home," The boys had stripped her down to her bra and skimpy panties. She immediately put on her clothes and left the house, shutting the door behind her.

"Very good boys," I looked back at Emmett. Jasper nuzzled my neck, biting softly at the skin. I reached up behind me, entwining my hand in his blonde hair, playing with the strands. Emmett's eyes darkened as he approached. His eyes flickered from my eyes to my lips. I grabbed his hand, pulling him to me. He captured my lips with his, both of us fighting for dominance. His tongue danced against my lower lip. I parted them and moaned when our tongues touched. Jasper's teeth grazed my shoulder and I shivered. In synchronized movement, Emmett reached for the front of my pants while Jasper attacked my shirt, completely ripping it off of me. I dug my nails into his scalp in anger and he moaned, pressing his body into mine. Emmett gently unzipped my skinny jeans, tugging them down.

"Thank you, _Emmett_," I gingerly stepped out of them, turning to glare at Jasper. He narrowed his eyes before lifting his shirt off, throwing it onto the couch. I sidestepped away from Emmett, walking toward my bedroom. I made it to the door and turned back to them, both shirtless by that point. "Coming?"

I sauntered into the room and stripped off my bra, throwing it out into the hallway. Before it even landed, arms wrapped around me. Jasper's hair tickled my shoulder as he kissed my neck and he pulled me flush against his naked chest. Emmett appeared silently in front of us and I smiled: he already had his jeans off, and his erection was straining against the confines of his boxer briefs. He grinned and stepped forward, kissing me softly. We reached for each other, his hands twining into my hair as I cupped his face. Jasper's finger traced each rib as he worked his way down my frame, making me shiver. He took hold of my thong and ripped through the pink fabric, removing it from my body. I kept one hand caressing Emmett's jaw while I snuck the other behind me, grasping Jasper through his jeans. He hissed in my ear.

"Stop ruining my clothes, Whitlock," I said through gritted teeth.

"We had this conversation, darlin'. I will buy you more if you are so inclined but as for now they are in our way." Jasper replied. At that moment, Emmett plunged his fingers deep inside me. I gasped, looking up at him.

"That's for damn sure!" He grinned and curled his fingers against my flesh, hitting a new spot. Whatever it was, it felt wonderful. I just about doubled over with the amount of pleasure but Jasper kept me upright, against him. I leaned back, resting my head on his shoulder. Suddenly, Jasper started rubbing slow tight circles against my clit.

"Fuck!" I cried out, thrashing against them. My orgasm was rapidly approaching.

"Don't fight it, Lil." Emmett pumped his fingers at a crazy pace while Jasper's fingers teased me, doing a slow dance compared to Emmett. _Too much._

"Come for us baby. Scream as loud as you need." Jasper purred, licking just behind my ear.

That did it. I cried out both of their names as my orgasm shot through me. They continued until I came down from my high, breathing heavily. Jasper plucked me from Emmett's arms and laid me down on my big white bed. I watched as Emmett approached, sticking his fingers in his mouth, sucking them clean of my release.

"I'm sleepy, you boys get yourselves off." I waved them away and closed my eyes, snuggling into my bed. Lust permeated the room and I bit my lip as my body roared to life. Emmett's big hands pushed my legs apart and he dove in, licking me clean. He moaned and the vibrations went straight to my core. I wanted him. _Now_. I squirmed against him but his strong hands held me still. I opened my eyes to see Jasper gazing down at us with a soft smile on his face. I glanced down at the clothing still on his beautiful body and raised my eyebrow. Two seconds later the offending clothing was gone. I smiled as he crawled on the bed. I reached out, caressing his cock as he got comfortable next to me. His eyes closed and I leaned up to wrap my lips around him. I swirled my tongue around the tip, taking in as much of him as I could. I cupped his boys in my hand, stroking the soft skin. My tongue ran up the thick vein on the underside. Emmett sucked on my clit and Jasper and I moaned simultaneously. Emmett then pulled away, slowly moving my body the way he wanted. In a blur of movement, Jasper was leaning against the headboard and I was on my hands and knees with Emmett behind me. He kissed my shoulder blade as he rocked forward, pressing his dick against my entrance. In one swift move, he pushed inside, filling me entirely.

"Lee-ahh," Emmett groaned, unable to speak my full name, while smoothing his hands down my thighs. He gripped my waist while slowly thrusting into me. Jasper held onto my arms as I bobbed over him, hollowing out my cheeks to create suction. He gripped me tighter as I ran my tongue over him. Lust washed over us like a blanket, Jasper having unconsciously used his gift again. Emmett picked up the pace, slamming into me. My orgasm was mere seconds away and Jasper brushed my hair back away from my face, threading his fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck, and pulling slightly. His breath hitched and I knew he was close. I gently scraped my teeth along his length, and squeezed his balls with my free hand.

"Lily!" he cried out as he came, his juices filling my mouth in three hot spurts. I swallowed it down and kissed his inner thigh. He scooted slightly down the bed with a look of awe on his face and he took my face in his hands kissing me long and hard. Emmett swiveled his hips, hitting just the right spot. I moaned loudly into Jaspers mouth as my orgasm tumbled through my body.

"Baby, fuck!" Emmett cried out as he released, rolling his hips into mine a few more times. He then dropped to the bed on his side and I laid down on top of Jasper who had slid underneath me during our kiss. He kissed the top of my head. We lay there in contented silence for a bit, love and happiness filling the room. I smiled as I closed my eyes, reaching over to Emmett. He grabbed my hand, entwining our fingers. A pulse of lust shot through the room. I groaned as I felt Jasper growing against me. I looked up at him, poking him in the chest.

"Turn that off or we'll never leave this bed."

"You got a problem with that, Em?" he smiled.

"Nope!" Emmett grinned, popping the 'p'. _Sigh; these two were hopeless._


	11. I Don't Want To Be Saved

**JPOV**

We were going out tonight. Even someone who wasn't an empath could tell I was nervous. I had spent decades with the Cullens, and someone was always telling me to hunt before we left or asking me if I was okay to get on the plane. Lily didn't doubt me and, in fact, was telling me to do the opposite. She was going to send Emmett and me out in a crowded dance club, packed full of warm human bodies, sweating and dancing around in next to nothing…

My fangs made themselves known at that moment. They weren't hurting anymore, but each time they came out, I was almost taken over by an insatiable urge to put them to use. That's usually when I found Lily and either fed from her or made love to her. She laughed at my "newbie" antics, but I couldn't control myself.

Lily had said to make myself look sexy. I didn't do anything different from my normal routine every time she had told me I was sexy, _so why should tonight be any different?_ I got out of the shower and looked at my clothes. It was mostly jeans and button-up shirts in my closet, with a few suits for special occasions.

I dug deep into the suit section, looking for something that wasn't as tacky as jeans, but didn't make me look like I was trying too hard. I donned a pair of dark grey business casual slacks and belted them with a shiny black belt I had picked up on my day away from Lily and Emmett. I doubted they would let me into a club without a shirt, but I had nothing like what Lily would want. I swallowed my pride and made my way down the hall.

Emmett got excited for a moment when I knocked on the door. He was constantly horny, and always within an arm's reach of Lily, just in case he needed to satisfy that urge. So far we had pretty much split our time evenly with Lily. There had been a few nights where lots of blood had been spilt, both from Emmett and me feeding on Lily, and her feeding on us. There were even a few instances where I had drunk from Emmett; his blood tasted so much different than that of a female. Like the difference between beer and wine; both alcoholic, and satisfying, but with a completely different taste. It wasn't exactly sexual when we did this, but there was an undeniable pleasure that came with the blood. I shivered as the memory overtook me.

_We had just returned from hunting. We'd gone "sightseeing" at a strip club and taken the most natural and beautiful girl out to the car, draining her before we even thought about fucking her. However, Lily wasn't one to let us go without, and took us home quickly, immediately pulling us both onto the bed. The pleasure was both beautiful and excruciating. It was like I was finding home and hell in the same place; my cock buried deep inside Lily and my fangs embedded in Emmett's neck. We were in a precarious position. I was behind Lily as she straddled Emmett. His back was against the headboard, and her head was now on his shoulder, my face on the other side of his neck, me having fallen forward after my last orgasm. Making Lily sandwiches was one of my favorite activities these days. With so much blood rushing through my system, it was like I had taken an entire bottle of Viagra. I hardened again still sheathed in Lily's center and started pushing my way in deeper before pulling out and repeating the motion again. I licked over the gaping wound I had created near Emmett's shoulder and shuddered when I realized it wasn't only his blood that tasted amazing._

_I rolled to my side, taking Lily with me, and slowly removed myself from her before gently teasing my cock into her back entrance. She gasped and began to pull away from me but I took the pain she was feeling into myself and replaced it with pleasure and happiness. Her gasp turned into a loud moan as she pulled Emmett in for a long kiss. He repositioned himself at her other entrance, teasing her first with his fingers. When he removed them, they were coated in my release, and in a move that almost made me come early, Lily leaned forward and took both of his fingers into her mouth, licking them clean. Emmett thrust into her fully at the moment, and her cry filled the room, echoing off the thick walls. As he and I worked out a rhythm, Lily copied our movement on the breast she could reach, tugging and groping herself, trying not to cut open her lip with her fully extended fangs. As our releases came closer to fruition, I could feel Emmett moving on the other side of the thin membrane, our legs intermingling in a quest to get even closer to Lily. Lily's cries took on a familiar pitch and I knew the end was nearing. My fangs descended only seconds before Emmett's and with three final thrusts each, we fell apart in each other's arms, my teeth firmly gripping Lily's upper arm, Lily's fangs reopening the wound I had just closed on Emmett's neck, and Emmett's nails breaking skin as they tore into my back. As we pulled away from each other, Lily closed her eyes and sighed; content. I looked at Emmett and his eyes found mine. We shared a tight nod; an unspoken promise to never speak of this again._

My hand unconsciously found its way to my back, fingering the small scars left from that night. I was abruptly brought back to the present when Emmett opened the door. He looked much like me, in a very similar state of undress. When his excitement faded I sensed the underlying confusion.

"You don't know what to wear, either, do you?" I asked. He shook his head. "Well then, I guess we're going to have to ask her," I turned toward the other end of the house, ready to bother Lily with this, since it was her idea, but Emmett blocked my way.

"Dude, I don't think we should bug her. She specifically said she wanted to be left alone to get ready. I'm just going to wear the vest to one of my tuxes. Then later, when I'm "fishing", I can unbutton it and entice some fine ass girl to come home with me." He flexed his abs and his arms, proving his point. I tried to ignore the nagging feeling in my stomach asking me to appreciate his physique, and focused on his idea.

"Maybe I can do something like that. Do you have any shirts that Alice bought that didn't fit?" He nodded and ran into his closet, returning with a few different shirts. I took them down to my room, and chose the one I liked best. It was a dark blue and had a sort of sheen to it. I put it on, and then couldn't decide whether to wear it normally or leave it unbuttoned. I decided to ignore Emmett's warning and ran across the house to Lily's room.

Considering the idea that we had all seen each other naked on more than one occasion, I didn't see a need to knock before I entered the room. If it weren't for the fact that my eyes were glued to the goddess on the bed and that my dick was standing at complete attention, I might have laughed.

As it was, I was mesmerized. Lily lay on the bed, completely naked except for a black lace sheer bra, with a large purple vibrator pressed against her clit. She rubbed it back and forth and up and down, her head moving from side to side slightly, her eyes tightly shut. After the fourth or fifth cycle of movements, she lowered her hand and angled it differently, positioning the toy to enter her. My quick inhale of breath did not go unnoticed.

Her eyes shot open, though she did not move, and she locked eyes with me before plunging the vibrator into her core. I had unknowingly wandered forward, and startled myself when my knees hit the edge of the mattress. Lily's eyes were closed again, one hand on her breast, plucking her nipple to a diamond-like point, and the other steadily moving the toy in and out of her. There was no way she was unaware of how close I was to her by this point, so I stayed; if she had wanted me gone, I already would have been.

Lily removed the toy from her folds and licked it clean. I felt a small amount of pre-cum ooze from my tip at the thought of being in her mouth instead of that damned fake cock. At vampire speed, Lily shot up from far end of the bed and stood in front of me, smirking devilishly. She positioned the vibrator on the edge of the bed before sinking onto it, slowly. I had been that toy many times before, and I was on the verge of coming just from remembering the sensation.

As she started to bounce up and down, never once taking her eyes from mine, I knew I couldn't keep from touching her any longer. I leaned forward and kissed her full on the mouth, caressing her tongue with mine when she opened her lips. She stopped her movements slightly, and sat back a bit. Her fingers expertly turned a dial on the bottom of the toy, and I heard the vibrations increase inside her. Her answering moan was a beautiful sound. As she properly re-seated herself, I watched her hips grind slowly forward and then back again, while she busied her hands with my belt and zipper. When my pants were undone she yanked them down roughly, along with my boxers, and plunged her mouth down around me with no warning. I cried out in surprise, my hands immediately going to her hair to pull her mouth more fully around me.

One of her hands wrapped firmly around the base of my cock, her lips meeting her fingers with each thrust, and the other reached down to her source of pleasure, pinching her clit as she started to move faster. I disentangled one hand from her beautiful hair before reaching underneath her bra to toy with her full breast. She increased her speed from human to supernatural, and within seconds, we both lay undone on the bed. The vixen winked at me before running into her bathroom, locking the door behind her.

**LPOV**

I pulled off the highway and found my way through the city. Downtown Nashville was lit up for the night, and I was still lit up from my encounter with Jasper. He was the only man I had ever met who could undo me with barely a look. The look he was currently giving me had set me ablaze: love mixed with desire and longing. Pure _passion_. Emmett was the same way, only it wasn't a look that set me off, it was simply a touch. He leaned forward and put his hand on my shoulder, and asked me to turn the radio up a bit. As he sat back in his seat, his fingertips brushed against the sensitive skin on the back of my arm and I was thoroughly hot again. Though muted to their senses since the transition, the scent of my arousal was still thick in the air. The musk probably emanated from my hair, which I had left messy and wild after Jasper had his way with it.

As I pulled up in front of the club, the boys both craned their necks to see the beautiful white and red neon sign hanging above us. _Mai_. This club was the current talk of the town, and was still doing well after opening almost two years ago. Apparently, this club had redesigned nightlife in this town, and the most common saying was, "It doesn't matter how you say it, only that you feel it," in reference to the club's ambiguous name.

I didn't even bother with compulsion at the front door: with Emmett on one arm and Jasper on the other, all it took was a shy smile and the velvet ropes disappeared. Upon entering the now crowded club, I was immediately taken aback by the ultra-modern choice of décor. The walls were made of stacked stone in a rich grey color, accented every so often by a speaker or a hanging lantern. The real focus of the room, though, under thousand of strands of crystals, was the dance floor. It flickered with life, both from the human patrons dancing atop it and from the bright lights flashing below the floor.

I inhaled deeply, familiarizing myself with the scents of the club. There was blood pumping, sweat pouring, and everything was slightly tainted by the distinct smell of liquor. Intermingled with the tantalizing scents of female patrons was a deep, musky fragrance that would have been attractive to any girl without my superior sense of smell. As I pinpointed the source of the smell, the boys seemed to notice it, and followed me without hesitation. I closed in on the V.I.P. section of the club, seated far in the back, behind a half-wall of frosted glass and set about five feet into the floor. It was private because, even standing up, no one outside the lounge could see you. When I was met with another velvet rope, and another arrogant bouncer, I waved off the boys, whispering for them to use other methods of entry. I didn't want any suspicions. After willing the man to step aside and then forget he ever saw me, I disappeared into the dark lounge, and focused on finding the smell. We had not come across another vampire since moving to Nashville, but I knew it was only a matter of time.

Just as I visually located Emmett and Jasper, who seemed to have coerced a bouncer as I had, I pinpointed the source of the smell. Far in the darkest corner of a large booth, surrounded by scantily clad human women of course, was a Stone vampire. His eyes darted up to my general direction, but not directly to me. I was pleased that I had been able to effectively hide myself. I told the boys in my lowest voice that this man would not be interrupting our plans any further, and effectively dismissed them to begin fishing.

After listening in for a few moments, I deduced that this man was here from somewhere overseas. I listened harder, waiting for one of the girls to slip up with some information I could use. Just as I was about to give up and ask him myself, I heard one of the more recent add-ons to the party comment to her friend, "Isn't he sexy? His name is Afton, and he's here on business from _Italy_!" The girl's comment was just a hushed whisper in this environment, but I heard every word.

Before any human near me could see the movement, I stood behind Afton. I slowly placed my hands on his shoulders, earning a glare or two from his concubines, and whispered in his ear, "Come outside with me, now."

He leaned back and turned his head slightly to face me. Whether it was the pungent aroma of skank he was doused in or the distinct smell of the club, I could see in his face that he detected no threat from me. _Big mistake asshole._

He smirked slightly, before turning back around. "Get lost, slut. This party is private."

My anger flared slightly and I immediately found myself in front of him, having jumped completely over the low bench he was seated on. I reached violently into his consciousness and rattled his brain before he could as much as blink. Then, without giving him a chance to be civil, I bent and broke the strings to his will.

"You are an arrogant asshole. You know I am the best looking woman in this club, possibly in this entire state. You will admit this now."

He immediately spoke. "You are a thousand times more beautiful than any woman here. Even more beautiful than my wife." _That's what I thought_. After a few irritated huffs and obscene gestures from his female companions at his admission, we were alone. Still controlling his actions, I told him to stand. With a snap of my fingers, he was following me out of the club's back door like a lost puppy dog.

As soon as we were outside, I pinned him against the wall with my forearm, and took his phone with from his pocket with the other. I scrolled through the contact list to Chelsea and pressed send. As the phone rang, I saw the fear in his eyes grow, even through my compulsion.

She answered on the second ring. "Afton, lover. You're a bit early calling tonight. You've just caught me stepping out of the shower," she purred.

"Well, that's fortunate. Maybe in your current state of undress, you can find yourself another mate. I'm just about to dispose of yours." Chelsea and I had our disputes over the years; mostly regarding power. She thought she was special because she could use her power to manipulate relationships, so did not take kindly to me telling her I could do the same thing with just a pop of my hips. Though I never had a particular problem with Afton, this seemed the best way to get through to Chelsea that power lies in your hands, not in your head. And the less Volturi in this world, the better.

Her hissing was cut short when I snapped the phone shut and threw it in the Dumpster next to us. Before I tore Afton apart, I told him not to worry, as I would be doing the same to his mate just as soon as I got the chance.

After lighting his remains on fire and locking the dumpster, I walked back into the V.I.P. lounge and retrieved my purse from under a bench where I had stashed it. A few spritzes of perfume and I was ready to find Jasper and Emmett and see what spoils we might come away with tonight.


	12. I Don't want to Be Sober

**EmPOV**

This was a thousand times easier than I had anticipated. I was surrounded on all sides by lusty human women, trying their hardest to get a piece of me. My vest had long since been lost and I was attracting the girls like they were bees and I was honey. Every woman that approached me was good looking, for sure, but none of them even compared to Lily. I was just about to compel the current flock to find something else to do when I smelled it; pecans and apples, emanating from a beautiful red-head whose skin was as warm as pie.

She was by far the best looking girl I'd seen tonight, and she knew it. As soon as she was within spitting distance, the other girls around me tucked tail and ran away, accepting defeat. The woman had fire-engine red hair, with thin streaks of black snuck in. She wore the tightest dress I'd ever seen, and I'd seen Lily dressed in corsets. It was a bright white, which set off the tan of her skin perfectly. Her teeth matched her dress when she smiled at me. When she inched closer to me, working her hips to the beat, I could smell her arousal already. It affected me in the strangest way, and I couldn't help but want her. She turned around, grinding her ass into me, and leaned back to whisper in my ear.

"I've been watching you since you got here. The bouncer is a friend of mine, and texts me when someone comes in he thinks I might want." She placed a hand on my neck, and I felt my slow pulse quicken infinitesimally. "It's too bad you're not human," My eyes widened at her words and she turned her head back away from me, knowing I'd hear her anyway. "The bouncer is a witch, as am I. And just so you know, you've got inhuman written all over you baby. It really is too bad…I'm no fangbanger. But you're just too fucking hot to resist." With that, she quickly spun around, settling one of my legs between hers; the song morphed into something with a deep bass and a slow rhythm, something that would have been perfect to fuck to.

I leaned down and slowly licked the shell of her ear, making her shiver. "Well, maybe we can work on changing that. What's your name, beautiful?" I hoped it was something sexy, like Audrina or Gabrielle. She smiled against my neck before licking me from collarbone to ear lobe.

"Ungh, you taste as good as you smell. I'm Morgan." I gasped and she immediately pulled me in for a kiss. I couldn't help myself; it was weird, like she was controlling my thoughts. When her heartbeat quickened and she moaned, I abruptly pulled away, locking my eyes with hers.

"Come home with me, Morgan. _Now_." I thrust my hips into hers for emphasis, and she moaned louder. I pulled her consciousness a little harder, and I could feel her resisting me. _What the hell? Must be a witch thing._ Finally, I reached under her dress and plunged one finger into her depths, curling it toward her belly button and easily finding her g-spot. I tried again.

"Morgan, I want you to come. _Now_." Her walls clenched around my finger and if not for the noisy song and double-bass, I was sure everyone in the club would have heard her beautiful cry of ecstasy. As soon as her eyes opened, I put her will in a chokehold, her guard wavering. "Come. Home. With. Me." She nodded and breathed, "Yes," before giving me another kiss.

I looked around, searching for Lily and Jasper. I located them, by smell, on the other side of the club, in the lower level. I listened intently for a moment before realizing they were both otherwise engaged. I called to them lowly, "If you two are quite done, I have the perfect specimen. I trust I'll see you both at home. And, if not…" I looked longingly at Morgan's ass. "Well, I suppose I can find _something_ to do."

**JPOV**

I had somehow convinced the bartender to let me buy the entire bottle of Southern Comfort from behind the bar. It was black label, and about three quarters of the way in, I felt drunk for the first time in what felt like a thousand years. No more than a few seconds after finishing the bottle, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned around and there was Bella. Well, not _Bella_, but I'll be damned if this girl couldn't be her sister. She had bigger tits, and she oozed sexuality and confidence. Her hair fell in dark waves and was perfectly teased. It made her look like she could have either just been thoroughly fucked, or was just about to be. My cock twitched in my pants at the thought.

She leaned in to speak into my ear, though I could have heard her clearly from across the club. "You are the sexiest man I've seen in my whole life. I would love it if you'd come to my booth in the private section?" Her voice was low, kind of rough, and just a little bit husky. _Phone sex voice_. I stood without thinking and she led me down into the V.I.P. area. The bouncer gave me a passing glance, but the compulsion had worked, and he didn't remember me. Almost as soon as my ass hit the seat, the brunette was straddling me, kissing my neck and sucking on my ear lobe. "Mmmmm….what's your name, darlin'?"

She paused slightly, and leaned back to smile at me. "Dawn." She had a bit of a twang herself. "And you, cowboy?" My cock twitched again when she called me cowboy. I pulled her hand from my hip to my groin and lifted my pelvis, forcing her to touch me. "I'm Jasper, but you can call me Jazz if you like, sweetheart."

Her eyes opened wide from my brazen gesture but her smile only grew more satisfied. She started to stroke me through my pants before leaning down to kiss me. I moaned against her mouth, and when she pulled away to return her attentions to my neck, I just leaned back and enjoyed it. My hands snaked their way around her waist, one going to fondle her ass while the other slipped under her skirt. As high as it had ridden up from our position, I didn't have to go far. Dawn's other hand finally left my hair and her lips found mine again as I felt her fingers reach inside my pants. I watched her unbutton my slacks as I slid a finger into her heat. She was incredibly tight, and I could just imagine what she would feel like wrapped around my dick.

Just as her tiny hand wrapped around me, I heard a very distinct, very _familiar_ hiss come from just on the other side of the half-wall. I looked up just in time to see Lily jump over the wall, silently fuming at me. Without thinking, I threw the girl off me, and at drunken vampire speed, I grabbed Lily, kissed her, and returned to my seat. Before she even had the idea to stop me, I ripped away what little underwear she had on and thrust my cock into her fully.

Whether it was lingering heat from our earlier encounter or rage from what she had witnessed me doing, Lily was tight and scorching hot. Dawn seemed unfazed by my actions and began to work her way back over to me. Lily grabbed her by the hair and locked eyes with her.

"Take this money and tell the bouncers to get everyone else out of here, including themselves. Then come right back." Dawn took off without another word and did exactly as she was told. I had no clue how much money Lily had provided, but it must have been enough, and soon, aside from the surrounding dance-fest, we were all alone. As Dawn returned, Lily flipped around, riding me reverse cowgirl, and pulled Dawn to her. She kissed her passionately on the lips before compelling her to get on her knees.

I hadn't stopped fucking Lily to watch the amazing show going on in front of me, but I almost lost all my focus and came when I felt Dawn's tongue on my cock. My cock that was still moving rapidly in and out of Lily.

_Oh fuck_ _me_.

**EmPOV**

Morgan and I had probably fucked eight or nine times before we heard the front door swing open. She was a wonderful lay, but she was getting clingy, _fast_. _Stage five, anyone? _I got up at vampire speed and ran into the living room to find Jazz with Lily under one arm and a sexy Bella-esque brunette under the other. He smiled at me and winked. Lily pushed the brunette with her hand that was wrapped around Jasper's waist, and the girl walked straight up to me. She pulled her hair away from her neck and leaned far to the left, exposing her delicious veins. I was just about to sink my fangs into her when I heard my name from the hallway.

"Emmy? Who the hell is _that_?!" I let go of the gorgeous brunette and ran back to Morgan at full speed. The fear in her eyes propelled me forward and I heard her heart rate spike just before I ripped into her neck. She screamed and I heard my Lily laugh. I spun us around so I could continue to feed but watch Jasper and Lily.

"Dawn, why don't you finish what you started with Jasper at the club? I'm sure we'd all love to watch." Lily focused intently on Dawn before looking longingly at me. The girl dropped to her knees and had Jasper's cock in her mouth within a matter of seconds. I felt myself harden a little bit at the sight, wishing it were me in her mouth instead.

I wasn't wishing for long though. I pulled the last few drops of blood from Morgan's body and dropped her to the floor. It seemed my Lily and I had the same thoughts, and rushed to each other, meeting at the mouth of the hallway. We fell to the floor, ripping at each other's clothes and moaning as fingers found flesh. Jasper was watching us also, still firmly planted in Dawn's mouth, his hands in her hair. When Lily and I were finally unclothed, we flew to the couch. Her mouth was everywhere on me at once, and before I noticed him move, Jasper was seated at the other end of the couch with Dawn bouncing on his dick like a fucking pogo stick. I pulled Lily up and she mimicked the girl's actions. Jasper threw his head back with such intensity it broke a piece of the couch frame. He squeezed his eyes shut, his face reminiscent of my own, as we both tried to reign in our release. Finally, I reached over and grabbed Dawn's arm, pulling her toward me. Jasper shifted simultaneously, staying inside her while turning, so that they sat against the edge of the couch, his chest to her back.

I grabbed Lily's hips and pushed her towards Jasper on the couch, now fucking her from behind. She mewled like a kitten before screaming my name, her own release just now catching up with her. When Jasper and I next locked eyes, I knew it was time. I pushed Lily forward more, and she latched onto Dawn's breast with her fangs, drawing a noise that was half moan and half scream. I grabbed the girl's leg and sunk my fangs into her ankle, amazed at how smooth her skin was. With a final thrust from each of us, Jasper plunged his fangs into her neck, the same spot she had offered me. With the intensity of a tsunami, the four of us came simultaneously, and Dawn's heart stopped beating.

The next few days were fairly boring. We had spent much of the day after our night out hiding Dawn and Morgan's bodies. I was a little afraid that Morgan being a witch would somehow come back to haunt us, but Lily assured me that what we were was every bit as magic as a witch, and that if there were something to be concerned about, she would tell me.

After getting our messes cleaned up, we explored the property around our home. We found several small hunters' stands and even a lonely cabin near the river, perhaps used as shelter for fishermen passing through. Lily told us to take mental pictures of each thing we deemed memorable. She explained that Stone vampire's brains retained every post-change memory because the brain was fully developed by the venom. However, since our hearts were beating again, the small firings in our brain could help us remember new things and also lead us to forget.

We talked about everything and nothing, including past loves and experiences, what foods we had liked when we were kids, and we tried to talk about our lives before the change, hoping some bit of information might spark Lily to recollect something from her forgotten past. We were talking about all the dates we'd had to memorize in high school for U.S. History when Lily gasped.

"I remember! It was the same day as Joan of Arc! My brother; I don't remember what he looked like or how he smelled, but I can remember him telling me that my birthday was special. That's actually the first thing I remember before Giovanni. Can we look up when that happened?"

After a few hours of research on the internet, we were able to pinpoint the date of Jeanette d'Arc's birthday and learn Lily's real date of birth. That night when Lily went to bed, Jasper and I decided we didn't want to wait until January and started plotting to go shopping and buy Lily something special, since she had not celebrated her birthday in thousands of years. However, as excited as I was to please Lily, I hated shopping.

_This ought to be good._


	13. You're No Good For Me

Chapter 12 – You're no good for me.

**JPOV**

We had been sitting in the same place for four hours. We were closing in on our self-imposed deadline and we were no closer to being done than when we had started. What on earth could you buy a woman for her birthday when she was turning 3,424 years old? She had been around long enough to watch the world create itself; to watch civilizations be born, be great, then wither away and die. She had witnessed more than five hundred recorded wars, and had seen and caused more death than any illness known to man, _combined_. Her heart still beat, but I could see the parts of Lily that weren't alive anymore.

While she could love, and covet, and want, she could no longer care, or be compassionate. Everything to her was fleeting, no matter how long it had been around. Her existence was the only permanent thing in her world, and that had to change. I had been thinking about the love I felt for Lily almost constantly since we left the Cullens. She had loved Giovanni no holds barred, and he had betrayed her and his wife simultaneously, killing a part of Lily that she could never regain. _Her humanity_. She had spent century upon century trying to break away from the pain he caused her. When she found Paul, and when she spoke of him now, I could feel that she finally began to heal. When she had to leave him, she left behind another part of herself to die. _Her kindness_. She wandered alone, killing and feeding and sleeping—just existing—for almost another six centuries before she found Carlisle. I had felt from her that she never loved him, but she found in him what she had lost in herself. And here we were, two full centuries later, and she was somehow still alive, still coping, still hurting.

When she let her guard down, I could feel the pain. When her carefully constructed mask slipped away at night while she slept, the agony and misery slowly replaced it. She tossed and turned almost every night, emitting the most powerful waves of sorrow I'd ever felt. All I wanted now was to show her that something else could be permanent for her. Something else could always be there for her. _I_ could always be there.

I knew that I would have to get Emmett's blessing. He would have to understand that this wouldn't change what we had; it would only make it more special, for us and for Lily. In the end, I knew that asking Lily to marry me was the right thing to do. It was the only thing I could do that no man she'd ever met, in all her years of life, had ever done for her before.

I took a few calming breaths, knowing there was a fight to be had with Emmett. He was too quick to let his emotions take over, and I knew that until I beat him into a tree, he wouldn't stay calm enough to see my reasoning and understand the logic. I had just opened my mouth to speak when a figure came through the trees directly in front of us. Emmett and I were immediately on out feet, ready to fight, when we realized it was not necessary.

There was no way we would win.

**EmPOV**

I was ashamed of myself. I hadn't seen this coming, not even as long as we had sat out here bullshitting about presents. I hadn't heard, smelled, or seen anything in these woods since we got here, and now we faced the one man we couldn't kill. _Ivan_.

He stared at us like we were rats in a fucking cage, like we were some sick experiment. I'd never felt so violated with just one look, but in just a few seconds I knew exactly what this asshole was doing here. He wanted us. Just like the Volturi always had, now this smegma was here, explaining to us what I already knew. He was feeding us lie after lie about Lily and the whole reason she came to us in the first place. I didn't believe a word of it.

Reverting to my old habits, I crouched down defensively and bared my teeth at him, having gone fully fang by then. He smiled at me with his perfect teeth, no fangs showing, and focused his eyes on something behind me. I knew then that we were fucked. I stood up slowly, knowing my efforts were less than useless. I slowly turned to meet my maker, and was surprised when I saw a beautiful woman standing in front of me. I registered a man in my peripheral vision as Jasper turned to face him. Giving Ivan my back was against all my greater instincts but this woman had me captivated. Her eyes were almost the same grey as Lily, and the stranger looked so much like her; the way she would have looked at thirty, had she been allowed to age. It all clicked into place for me then.

"Salome?" I asked. Her eyes went wide, answering for her. I smiled then, knowing at least I'd have the last word this time. "No wonder he went after Lily. She looks _just_ like you…only prettier." Then it all went black.

**LPOV**

_How did she end up in this place?  
Woke up next to a stranger's face  
Her inhibitions lie wrinkled on the floor  
Her heart is guilty, she feels sick  
The room is spinning, it won't quit  
It's time to go home  
But now it's too late to say_

I woke with a start. The living room was dark, and the shadows on the floor were slanting at a much sharper angle than I last remembered. I looked at the clock, trying to remember the last thing I had done. That's when I heard the music still playing softly from my iPod. The words were haunting, and I felt an inexplicable sense of panic. I pulled out my phone and called Jasper, then Emmett. Then I called again. I reached each of their voice mailboxes five times before I gave up, and the panic settled into dread.

Usually, when I felt like something was wrong, _it was_. I raced into the backyard, pulling in breath after breath, trying to draw in as much of their lingering smells as possible, hoping to find some sort of direction. When I finally caught the trail, it was much more faint than I would have thought, and I realized I had been asleep for longer than the time we'd agree they'd be home by. I ran at my fastest possible speed, knowing deep in my gut that their lives depended on it.

Finally, I reached a small clearing in the woods, probably one that had been made by the boys roughhousing. I could smell them most prominently here, like I just missed them. The dread in my stomach started to dissipate slowly. I then realized that they could have been playing a game of tag with me; they would often run from me, luring me into giving chase just so they could let me find them and have my way with them. It was all fun and games, I assured myself. I was just about to turn around when I heard something I had not heard in three millennia; _my real name_.

"Buon giorno, Miss della Francesca."

"I understand what you are saying; I know what I did wrong. But do you think I expected for this to happen? Do you honestly think I planned to fall in love? With _two_ men, at that?" I was beyond frustrated. I completely understood the terms of the deal I had made, but what this man did not understand was the concept of love.

"I don't care what you planned for, or even expected once it happened. I gave you a mission and a deadline and, as far as I'm concerned, you've failed me!" His voice was cold and harsh, breaking down any confidence I had left to argue with. "Whether you wish to believe me is not my concern nay do I care; but I am telling you now that I forgive your indiscretion. I am well aware we sometimes want things we should not. However, your deviation from my original plan has put us on a tight schedule, and you will have to play a bigger role than previously anticipated."

"I don't want to do that, Ivan. I just want to know that you will use the boys for their purpose and then hand them back over to me." I pleaded with him using my eyes.

"You act like they are yours to even ask for, Liliana! I am disgusted with the power you assume you have. I know you are the first vampire any of my prodigies made, but that does not exempt you from what I can do!"

I flinched away from him, scared for the first time in a long time. He had said that he forgave me, but he did not say I would go unpunished. I didn't dare speak, knowing he was far from finished.

"You will do as I say, or you will die. I know that seems harsh but from what you've shown me, you cannot handle anything more than simple instructions. I have them, you know," My heart died in that moment, realizing just then that I had condemned two of the most perfect creatures on earth to death. "I will use them for their purpose, and then I will consider what you want. Until then, I have a new mission for you. You will come to Italy tomorrow, and you will be my third in command, under Giovanni, to help dole out responsibilities before and after the war."

_Over my pile of ashes,_ I smiled slightly. There was no way in hell I would ever take another command from Giovanni. I wiped the smirk off my face before Ivan could see it and looked up into his deep brown eyes. He would have been beautiful if not for the ugly monster that constantly raged inside him. I searched his face for some sort of softness, some small piece of him that might possibly give away that he still had feelings, was still able to hurt as he hurt others. I found nothing.

At that moment, staring blankly into the hard mask on Ivan's face, I realized all hope was lost. We would not all make it out alive. My heart beat irregularly as I reflected back on his words, wishing like hell there were some way I could find a hole in what he'd said, some loop that I hadn't thought to jump through. He sat patiently for awhile, letting me figure out there was no way to get out of doing what he wanted.

"So, Lily? What do you say to my new proposal?" He smiled at me in that perfectly condescending way that left you no room to argue, and yet you knew he wasn't being friendly. I had no choice but to accept his plea.

"I agree to your terms, Ivan. I don't like them, but, I was given a job to do and I did not complete that job. I will assist you with the takeover in Volterra, and then my boys and I will leave. And hopefully, we will never have to see each other again." I had tried to fake the pain in my voice, but it felt more real than I ever expected.

"Good, then. I came prepared." He dug into the pocket inside his suit and produced a plane ticket. It was a first class, nonstop flight to Florence, Italy. I could practically walk to Volterra from there. I smiled demurely at him before bowing, as his old tradition demanded, and turning on my heel. I don't think I had ever run so fast in my life.

When I returned to the house, I locked the doors. I chastised myself for being so stupid; one- for letting Ivan get this close to me and get his grubby hands on my boys, two- for thinking that a locked human-made door would do a fucking thing against a vampire who wanted inside. I sat on the floor and hung my head in my hands for a few moments, going back over the last few months and trying to find a moment where I could have seen this coming and so prevented it. No matter how hard I tried, not a single time came to mind. After flying through the house at top speed, I was packed and locking up the house as best I could, wishing like hell I would make it through this mess to come back to it.

As I got in the driver's seat of my Audi, I looked down at the plane ticket in the passenger seat. Only then did I realize my last wish would not become a reality; I would never be coming back here. Because far in the upper corner of the ticket, just below the airline's blue and red logo, was the signature on my death warrant. _One way_.


	14. Behind These Eyes

Chapter 13 – Behind these eyes.

**LPOV**

When I arrived in Volterra, I knew something was amiss. Everything was too calm and quiet. That was when the hair on the back of my neck stood up; this was only the calm before the storm. I had orders to report directly to Ivan, who should already have been in the castle by the time I showed up. From his words, I had deduced that I would have to prove my loyalty to Ivan before he would ever let me and, subsequently, the boys go. I was only planning on killing as many of the Volturi guard as possible and then getting my men and leaving, permission or not. As I neared the castle, I listened with all my strength, hoping to know what I was about to walk into. I could hear voices talking softly, calmly. It was as though nothing had happened. Ivan had called me an hour before and said when he sensed my presence he would begin the attack, and Giovanni and I would jump into the chaos, catching the others off guard. _Apparently, I was wrong._ Because when I opened the grate at the end of a long hallway, I could smell the sickly sweet smoke below me. It was so thick here I could practically taste it.

That was when it dawned on me that Ivan had most definitely changed his plan. It was already over.

When I jumped through the grate, I was immediately met by Giovanni; the last person I ever really wanted to see again. He grabbed my arm and wrapped it into his, leading me toward the ancient turrets. I assumed all along that Ivan would save eliminating the ancient vampires for last. _Was I being given the opportunity to witness it? Or, maybe even participate?_ As we neared Aro's old chambers, I could smell more smoke, though it was much more diluted than in the sewers.

Giovanni reached for the steel handle of the door, and paused to look me in the eye for just a moment. In that moment, I remembered exactly why I fell for him in the first place. He was the perfect lie. His eyes pleaded with me; begged me to say anything. I held strong and kept my mouth shut. He mouthed, "I'm sorry," before opening the door.

The scene before us was nothing short of miraculous. Ivan stood in one corner, Salome in the opposite, and Giovanni completed the triangle behind me. This was not a meeting, or a beheading, this was an ambush. Ivan smiled at me, then down at the broken pieces of Aro and Caius' bodies, smoldering slowly. I couldn't help the satisfaction I felt at seeing them mangled the way they were, but Giovanni's half-assed apology and Ivan's stupid little smirk were enough to set me off. _Had this all been a lure just to finally end me?_ _Oh, hell no_.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? You will _never_ get away with this." Ivan's small smile transformed into an ear-to-ear grin, and for one moment, he was absolutely beautiful. Then I remembered the reason behind his joy would inevitably be my pain. He snapped his fingers and I was immediately grabbed from behind; Giovanni was my sire, and I would never be able to overpower him. Salome grabbed my legs and, kicking and screaming, they hauled me away into Marcus' old chamber.

Once we were inside they let me go, sharing a small and secretive smile. Salome looked at me and shook her head. "It really is a shame for such a long life to end, isn't it, Gi? But, that's too bad, because I have waited too long for this."

"It's been over _three thousand_ years, Salome. Don't you think it's time to forgive him? And me? Maybe move on?" I looked right at her.

"Ha! Have you, Liana?" Salome's thick accent was one of the few things that intimidated me. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"His actions changed the course of my life. I will never be human again because of him. You have this life by choice. I have this life because of a mistake!" I glanced over at Giovanni, pleased with the almost-hurt look on his face. He quickly masked it before his wife turned around.

"Do you agree with her, Gi?" She narrowed her eyes at Giovanni, and his flashed to mine. I saw many emotions cross his face, but I couldn't look into his eyes for too long. There was no telling the things he'd have me do.

"About what? That turning her was a mistake? I can't say that. I know that it put a rift between us, and for that, I will never be able to apologize enough. But I never loved her. She may have loved me, and I may have lusted after her all those years ago, but I never truly cared for her. Anything I felt toward her would pale in comparison to how I feel about you. This is what I have been trying to tell you all this time, Sal." He looked sincere, and Salome's stance softened. I had already known everything he'd said, but to hear it spoken out loud hurt like a stake to the chest.

"Giovanni, as hard as it may be for you to believe, I have always known the truth. I only wanted to hear you say it in front of her. It was careless to begrudge you for so long," she turned to me, "but _you_, young one, have proven _very_ difficult to find."

I looked her square in the eye, compelling be damned. "When one does not want to be found, they will not. When one is ready to finish what she started, they will." With that, I slapped Salome across the face as hard as I could, which caught her off guard. The strike sent her flying through the stone wall and down to the ground hundreds of feet below. _Hope I broke the bitch's neck. _I then moved to stand before Giovanni who seemed to be frozen in shock, though I was hoping for fear. "You ended my life, Giovanni. It only seems fair that I end yours." I pinned him to the wall with my foot, and pulled a dagger from my thigh.

"You are foolish, Liliana. She will never forgive this. And you can never win!" He tried to overpower me, but was already being weakened by his proximity to the dagger. It was the first time in my existence I had not wished to be an Original; being who I was turned out to be the only way to keep myself alive. Giovanni chose that moment to interrupt my musings with more arrogance. "You are foolish again, you ignorant wench. You honestly think a dagger will harm me?!"

I threw my head back and laughed for what felt like the first time. "Are you slow, Gi? Did you really not think I haven't carried this strapped to my thigh for the last thirty centuries?!" I drug the blade across his face, leaving burning flesh and steam in its wake.

"What is that?!" His scream of agony was powerful, and beautiful.

"This, dear friend, is the only way to kill an Original. A dagger dipped in white ash wood." His eyes widened impossibly, and I knew that for once in our relationship, I would get to have the last word. "Giovanni, I loved you impossibly for years after you changed me. That love slowly morphed into burning, festering hate. And now that I have you in my grasp, your throat in one hand and your death in the other, I feel only one emotion. Impeccable, irrevocable _joy_." At my last word, I plunged the dagger into his chest, effectively ending an existence as old as the biblical world.

I smiled.

I had run the fastest in my existence away from that castle. After running for three hours, I hit some body of water, and took up shelter in a small boathouse. When the joy wore away, all I felt was numb. I had betrayed and been betrayed, loved unconditionally and been loved in return. And even after everything I had done, it was not enough. I could not get away from my enemies, and I knew that either I would die, or those would whom I loved. I suppressed the urge to cry, not having the time to be weak. Without another thought, I pulled out my cell phone, dialing the once familiar number.

After a few rings, there was an immediate beep, and I tried not to sound desperate as I left my message. "Hello, old friend. I find myself in great need, and was wondering if you might be of assistance. Even if you are not, please pass along my hello to the girls."

When I shut the phone, it felt as though I my last chance at saving the boys was gone. I sat in silence, a bloody pool forming at my feet, and let the agony have me for a few moments. Just as I pulled myself together and wiped my face on my sleeve, my phone rang. An echo of hope shivered through me, and it took a few rings for me to compose myself enough to answer.

"Hello, Sebastian."

About an hour later, I drove at a human's pace as I wound my way through the streets of Florence. Everything was old, and yet somehow it all seemed new to me, too. I hadn't wanted to call in favors. They say the quickest way to lose friends was to borrow money from them. I didn't need money, I needed power. Asking someone to lay down their life for me was surely worse than asking for money. It was a fucked up little love thing we'd had between us all. Isolde, the only real lesbian I'd ever met, loved Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn loved Sebastian. Sebastian loved me. I loved Giovanni. And Giovanni, even after everything he told me and put me through, loved Salome. It would have been poetic justice if Salome had somehow fallen in love with Ivan. But, no. She loved Giovanni right back and the two assholes were still totally happy together. And the most fucked up part of it all was that, aside from my belief that Ivan only loved himself, everyone was convinced he was hot for Isolde.

I knew that calling Sebastian was wrong. I knew exactly what he would want in return for his help, and I knew just as much that I'd give it to him, without question, if it meant saving my boys. I also knew that I would hurt one of my closest friends in the process. Gwendolyn would be heartbroken, but if all I had to offer was my body, how could I not give it?

My phone buzzed again: a text from Sebastian.

_Via Cerritani 2._

I punched the address into the GPS on my rental car. _What an asshole_. I was going to meet them at the _Hotel San Giovanni_. When I found parking, I sniffed them out. Gwendolyn was easy to find; she was always drenched in _Dior_ perfume. I walked confidently to them, immediately missing Isolde's blonde hair, and regretting every bit of this decision.

"Ciao, Gwen. Ciao, Ian." His eyes smiled at me, though his mouth did not. I had resisted his advances so many times in the past, and he looked so much like my Paul, only with long blonde hair. My stomach was doing flip flops. Gwen stood up to hug me. Her embrace was cool, and calculated, everything I had been expecting it to be. Her smile was believable, though I knew better. Sebastian stood up and bowed to me formally. I bowed back slightly, still unfamiliar with the custom.

"Well of course you are, love. It's something you rarely see in the Americas." It should have been hard to forget that Sebastian was a telepath, but when you go over a thousand years having no one privy to your thoughts, it's easy to get too comfortable with them. I looked up to Sebastian, forgetting for just a moment why I was here, and then it was too late. He already had me. _God damn Original_.

"Gwen, why don't you go fetch Isolde? I'm sure she's around here somewhere, and I know she wouldn't want to miss a chance to see our old friend." His eyes dilated, and I felt mine do the same. It was awful, knowing he was doing this to me, and knowing all the while there was nothing I could do to stop him.

"Tell me why you're here, Ana." I felt my own words being forced from my mouth, and his power prodded around in my memories, stealing away all the information I had; even that which I had planned to keep to myself.

"I was disloyal to Ivan. He gave me a timeline to return with fifteen more soldiers. I only supplied thirteen. After I acquired the final two, I fell in love with them. I transitioned them into Daywalkers and have been hiding ever since. They went shopping for my birthday and never returned. I met Ivan in the woods behind my house and he gave me a new deadline. It was yesterday. I went to Volterra and the invasion was already over. He has my boys in the cellars, probably compelled to stay there. And last night, I killed Giovanni."

I had been so mesmerized by Ian's power that I hadn't heard Gwen return until a voice rang out from behind me, capturing my full attention. "What can we do to help, _mia bella_?"

Isolde's eyes met mine, and we shared a smile filled with sadness.

"Well, first, you could kindly ask our friend not to compel me. I will be as helpful as possible, but I need to know I can trust you." I turned back toward Sebastian. "Ian, please. I will be truthful. You should know you can trust _me_."

He smiled and it was breathtaking; like being filled with happiness and looking at the sun at the same time. I looked away from him, but even his voice penetrated me. "Lily, you will quickly come to learn that I do not trust anyone anymore. It does not benefit me, and it is a sign of weakness to place your faith in anyone who has done less than amaze you. So, you want me to trust you? Amaze me." His voice practically dripped with sex, just begging me to give in.

"You know what amazes _me_, Ian? Your selfishness. You absolutely have the power to help me and yet you won't because you say you cannot trust anyone. I know you cannot trust people anymore, but have you also forgotten how to love?!" I yelled, drawing the attention of a few people passing by. When his eyes met mine, I knew I had gotten through to him. I saw the sadness and the recognition; he not only knew about love, but was an intimate companion to love unrequited.

**SebastianPOV**

I was an excellent liar. I let her think she had gotten through to me, just as I had been asked to do. I sat back, brooding, as I'm sure it looked, and listened to her regale Gwen and Izzy with her new tales of young love. They were completely captivated as she spoke, and I could tell that, given the chance, they'd do anything she asked for those two fools. I must have missed something they'd said, because I heard Lily gasp.

"You'd really help me, Izzy? You'd stand against Ivan, for me?" Her thoughts revealed that she really had never expected to receive any help from us, thinking we must be loyal to Ivan, having survived all this time. _Smart girl, that one_. Because whether she knew it or not, she was absolutely right.


	15. On My Mind, In My Dreams

Chapter 14 – On my mind, in my dreams.

**IPOV**

I wasn't used to waiting. Usually, as soon as I wanted something, I had it standing in front of me. At the moment, though, I realized what I truly wanted would never be given to me. Hell, the woman I was head over heels in love with didn't even like men. I had once thought myself the most irrational creature on the planet and, for a long time, I was. And then, I met Liliana.

She was eccentric and ridiculous and beautiful and amazing all at the same time. She could not take an order, even when it meant saving her own life. She was arrogant, and powerful, but she often forgot her place in the world. It was under me, in every way. I was sitting in the old throne room of the castle, enjoying the smell of fresh human blood. The girl in my lap couldn't have been more than nineteen, and she was exquisite; a virgin, non-smoker, non-drinker, and totally vegan. It was like a fine dark wine on a cool night. Her breasts were exposed to me, nipples pert to the cool air in the stone room.

Sebastian walked in then, Gwendolyn on his arm. Gwen lowered her eyes to the floor while Sebastian focused intently on the beauty perched on my lap. I murmured for her to make herself scarce. "And I don't mean to my chambers, Annalynn. To your room." She walked away, her perfect tits bouncing for everyone to see. It was a shame I had other matters to attend to.

"What do you have for me today, Ian?" I smiled at Gwen and offered her the other throne next to me. She took it kindly, and sat in it sideways, her legs trailing over the edge toward me. Sebastian bristled at her nearness to me, and I laughed a little.

"Well, Ivan, I have for you exactly what you wanted. Lily is here in Italy, she's disposed of Giovanni and she'll do anything to save those two you have in the basement. It seems to me that she's just perfect for your plan." His tone was sarcastic, biting. He didn't want to give Lily to me, because he knew that it would put the final nail in the coffin of trying to win her over.

"Well that just sounds fantastic!" I rubbed lazy circles over Gwen's ankle and she squealed, pulling her leg away from me.

"Of all the things I kept as a vampire; I'm still ticklish!" She got up and danced around the room, humming a song to herself quietly. Sebastian took her unoccupied seat and spoke again.

"There's only one problem. Isolde has taken up with her. They are _allies_ now," he spat.

I thought quickly, already knowing the solution to any problem involving Isolde. "Gwen, honey, how would you feel about being _kidnapped_?" Her sparkling laughter filled the room.

**IsoldePOV**

I was pacing the living room, waiting. No one knew about this particular hideout, so there was no reason for me to be antsy. And, the only people strong or smart enough to kill me were my friends, so why I was worrying, I had not a clue. Just when I thought I couldn't wait any longer, Liliana came through the door, dragging a young man by his foot, with blood covering her arms and face. She smiled at me and said, "He's still breathing, sort of. You want some?" I shook my head at her and tossed the boy into the woods, knowing I ought to have dealt with it right then. However, my panic was beginning to grow, and I needed to hear from Lily that I had nothing to be worried about.

She sensed my mood and sat down on the couch, leaning forward, being careful not to get blood on anything. "Lily, I think something is wrong. I haven't heard from Gwen in two days. She normally calls in the morning when she wakes up, and we talk about our dreams and make plans for the day. And even if she forgets, she _always_ calls at dusk to say goodnight."

"Well, what's the last thing you spoke with her about?" I was hesitant to tell her. Lily would have seen this as a golden opportunity to collect information but, Gwen was my friend and I trusted her.

"Well," I began hesitantly, "She said she was going to "meet with an old friend" which usually means Ian for some casual sex. She's so picky about men, you know? Part of me wishes she'd just become a lesbian. Then she wouldn't ever have to be picky…" I trailed off, knowing Lily wouldn't want to hear about my bleeding heart. "Anyways, I called her out on it and she said it wasn't Sebastian she was going to see. I know we're all as old as the earth in many ways, but who else could she be talking about?"

I already knew what her answer would be, and I also knew she'd be a hundred percent right. "God damn it! Damn it all to hell! That's where we all belong!" She exclaimed. I was stunned at her outburst.

"What are you talking about, Lily?" She looked at me with eyes that were full of both sadness and pity.

"Oh, you poor thing." A single bloody tear escaped her eye as she continued. "Don't you see? He has her. He probably has both of them by now." She lowered her head, not daring continue.

"I know we are not _the_ Original, nor are you an Original at all, but Ivan is not that heartless. Believe it or not, I know he cares for me. So why would he take or hurt something he knows I love?" She looked up then, cheeks now covered in blood, and laughed at me.

"You are a fool to think that way, Iz. He would take it from you simply because he can. He knows all of our weaknesses and our buttons to push. He will hit every one of them! And then, once he finally has you, he'll use you! Just like he did when he changed you! Just like Giovanni did to me."

"Oh Christ, Lily! You always make this about you. Just because you don't know what a friend is, that's what I am to you. And that's also what I have always been to Gwen. So I'm going after her. _Now_."

And then I was gone.

**LPOV**

It took me about four hours to realize Isolde wasn't coming back. And not just in the "I don't want to see you right now," way; she was gone. _Taken_. I should have seen this coming from the beginning. Ivan knew everyone worth knowing. That meant that he knew exactly who I would turn to for help if I were to need it. It meant that he knew who I _had_ turned to, and who cared enough to try to aid me. It was no surprise, and yet it still stung when I realized Sebastian had betrayed me. I thought that with one look he had offered me his hand, but, actually, in believing him, I had offered Ivan my head.

However, Ivan wouldn't make it that easy. It wouldn't be quick and painless; it would be drawn-out and excruciating. He would make sure I suffered to my last breath, and maybe even then some. I sat down on the couch for a moment, trying not to give into the misery I knew was waiting just below the surface. After a moment, I decided that I was through with waiting and wondering. _If I'm going to perish, finally, I'll do it of my own accord._

I changed into a very pretty dress from Isolde's closet and ran upstairs to her bedroom. I searched for some shoes that fit me and matched the golden patterns on the skirt before washing my face in her bathroom sink. _My goodness. _I looked like I was eighteen with no makeup. Being a vampire had its advantages; eternal youth being my favorite. And, looking extra youthful tonight certainly wouldn't hurt my cause. Everyone knew Ivan liked them young.

When I arrived at the castle, I didn't try to sneak in through the grates or make myself scarce at all. I walked right in the front door and took the elevator to the third floor; the floor where the throne room and feeding chambers were located. I was pleased that I seemed to have surprised them all with my presence. The room quieted when I entered, the few Stones left standing still as only their kind could. I lowered my head and curtseyed toward Ivan. When I looked up at Ivan through my lashes, he was smiling. I tried not to cringe when I saw my so-called friends standing on either side of him.

I had a part to play. Ivan, not forgetting his part, wiped his face clean of his grin and glared at me. _All bark, and no bite. Yet._ He snapped his fingers and the Stone vampires were gone instantaneously. He took a deep breath and smiled at both Gwen and Isolde before looking back at me.

"Excuse me," he addressed the room. "I'd like a minute alone with Liliana, if you all don't mind." I closed my eyes for a moment; when I opened them, the room was empty save Ivan and me, and he had crossed about half the distance between us. His posture was rigid, and his face was set in hard lines, but his eyes were soft, and I thought I may have finally found the one place Ivan wasn't dead. As we walked toward his new dwelling, his eyes never left mine.

**IPOV**

I could see the sadness in her eyes. She had been betrayed by those closest to her, as I have been many times. I could also see the heartbreak threatening to break through. She loved those two downstairs; that much was clear. But, I knew that with enough time, any wound could heal. She looked away from me, out the window at the bright sun. I saw a ghost of hope fly through her eyes before she squared her shoulders, seemingly steeling her resolve.

"Kill them both, Ivan. I have decided I only want you. They were only there to distract me from Giovanni. It was an adequate pastime and changing them over kept me busy but, I want a man with power. I need a man who can defend himself against a woman. A man I can't make do anything. Please, Ivan, be that challenge for me? Or, let me be a new challenge for you?"

I threw her away from me into the stone wall of my new chamber. Before the dust had time to rain down, I pressed my body against hers, pinning her to the wall. I could recall every time this beautiful woman had made a stupid decision. She stayed quite close with Isolde throughout the years, and my obsession with her had led to a similar sort of longing for Liliana. I had watched every step she'd made over the years, and just laughed at Giovanni's inability to find her. She was the first of the second generation of vampires, and with that title came great power. In essence, she and I were perfect for each other. If only she weren't so much like a ghost; here one minute, there the next, and then just gone. Perhaps, with proper training and compulsion, she could become a suitable mate for me.

"Fine. I will give you another chance. Just know, it will be a, how do Americans say it? A 'one strike and you are out' situation? I will not forgive another betrayal from you, Liliana." I caressed her face, bleeding slightly from where her cheek had hit the rock wall. I leaned forward and licked the blood from her cheekbone; she hissed and tried to pull away, but I held her to me. I twined one hand in her hair, and grasped her chin with the other, turning her face away from me. "We will have fun, Lily. I promise." With that, I sunk my fangs deep into her flesh.

She cried out and grabbed onto my arms as the blood filled my mouth. So sweet with a bit of dark spice, not unlike the woman it came from. I was instantly aroused and ground my hips into hers, making it known. She moaned and brought up her knee up between my legs, brushing against me. I let go of her jugular and nipped at her earlobe, dropping short kisses as I went. I grabbed her flimsy shirt and ripped it off as easy as a human could a piece of paper. I stepped back and watched the blood from my bite slowly trickle down her neck and between her breasts.

_Beautiful. _

**LPOV**

Ivan reached forward and flicked open my bra with just his finger. The blue lace fell to the floor, joining the remnants of my shirt. He then drug that finger through my cleavage. I closed my eyes, resting my head against the wall. Ivan's tongue replaced his finger, licking up every last drop of blood. He reached around and expertly unzipped the full length zipper at the back of my skirt. He tossed the item over his shoulder, not once taking his tongue away from my breasts. I gasped as he shoved his hand between my legs, cupping the sex.

"Already wet for me, are you? Never knew you were so attracted to me," he licked the blood off of his fangs.

"Some things are easy to hide, Ivan," I purred, running my hand through his hair. His finger flicked against my clit and my hips bucked against him. He stood up, threading his hand through my hair before leaning forward, his lips catching mine in a kiss. Our lips moved together, fighting for dominance. I pushed against him and we flew to the bed in a blur of movement.

"Remove my clothing, Liliana." I smiled, reaching for his shirt. He ruined Emmett's favorite bra, about time I get my revenge. I grabbed the top of the button-down. Ivan tsked.

"Gently." His eyes dared me to disobey. I huffed and unbuttoned each little silver button. I ripped the shirt from his pants, roughly. He grabbed my wrist, gripping it tightly before throwing me across the room. I caught myself on the desk.

"Do not move!" he ordered.

I pursed my lips, biting back a comment. Hands grabbed my hips and pulled me backwards. His warm palm pressed down on my back. I hunched over, resting my elbows on the desk. Looking back, his shirt was now gone and his pants neatly undone. He kicked my legs apart, palming my ass. Ivan dropped to his knees, tearing away the dark blue boy-shorts with his teeth.

"Ivan," I moaned as he drug his fangs back up, slicing through my skin. Clothes brushed against my skin and the tip of his cock teased my core.

"Is this what you're wanting, Liliana?" He whispered my name, brushing my hair over one shoulder. Without warning, he slammed into me. We both groaned at the contact. He pounded into me at an incredible pace. The desk slowly etching itself into the wall with the force of our fucking.

"Yes," I whispered. As he continued his vampire pace, I spoke with more conviction. "Yes!"

I mustered up my strength and pushed away from the desk and then away from him. He dropped his head and then looked up at me with his dark smoldering eyes. I smirked and rushed towards him, jumping onto his chiseled body. He caught me easily and I sunk lower on his body, impaling myself on his cock. I rocked against him and he grabbed onto my thighs, taking over the pace.

I slapped at his hands. "You don't always have to be in control, Ivan. Let yourself let go and just enjoy this."

"No. I can't." he tightened his hold and yanked me down over him, filling me completely. I cried out in pain and pleasure.

"We'll have to work on that," I wrapped my arms around his neck as I bounced on him, feeling the first pings of orgasm. I kissed down his cheek to his jaw, licking just under the bone. My fangs dropped down and in less than a second, I buried them into his neck. Blood filled my mouth. Ivan roared and threw me off of him and into the wall on the far side of the room.

"You dare take blood from me?!" He licked his hand and ran it over the wound, sealing it. I knew I should have been frightened, but the blood staining his chest and the fire in his eyes made the list of the top ten hottest things I'd ever seen.

His blood rushed through my veins immediately and my heart soared, feeling completely satisfied for the first time. "You need to relinquish that control. Learn to-"

"I don't need to do a damn thing, Liliana!" he interrupted. "You do not feed from an Original, least of all me! Not without permission and you do _not_ have it!" I crossed my arms, unfazed. He stalked across the room.

"You know I have killed for less. You know this." his nostrils flared in anger.

"And so have I, Ivan. Much less." I reached out and ran my finger up his chest collecting the fallen blood. He watched with hard eyes and I stuck my finger in my mouth. His blood tasted like hot cajun peppers and cinnamon. Incredibly spicy and incredibly erotic.

"You are impossible."

We stared at each other for a few seconds, gauging what the other would do. In a rush of movement, we reached for each other, grabbing any part of the other we could touch. He kissed me roughly, clearly showing his dominance. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I plunged myself down on him. His cock throbbed inside me. I pulled myself up, almost all the way off him before slamming back down. He flew us across the room, crashing my back into the wall again. I groaned, tugging at his hair. Ivan darted towards the bed and threw me down onto it. As I bounced, he grabbed hold of my ankle and roughly pulled me back to him, spreading my legs as he went. He thrust his cock deep inside me and I cried out, running my hands through my hair. I trailed my hand down my neck to my breast, massaging it gently. I moaned as he fucked me with no remorse.

"Ivan, please!" I begged as he crashed his hips into mine.

"No!" he yelled, holding my hips down. He thrust into me so hard I felt like I might actually break. I palmed my breast harder and took hold of the bedding with the other hand, trying desperately to steady myself. My orgasm crept up suddenly up and shattered through me. I screamed, arching my back to meet his thrusts. Ivan kept up the incredible pace while my entire body shuddered. His body pulsed and his dick twitched inside me.

"Liliana, you feel incredible." He spoke hoarsely as he came violently. Ivan collapsed on top of me and we moved ourselves further up the bed to rest.

_A few hours later._

I woke up and looked over at Ivan. He was sleeping soundly on his stomach, his face turned towards me. I watched him as I carefully stepped off the bed. I winced as my feet touched the floor; I hadn't been this sore in a long time. I bit my lip as I tip-toed backwards across the floor, my eyes never leaving Ivan's face and watching for any slight movement. There was none. I scanned the room for something to cover myself. There was nothing. _Guess I'm saving my boys naked; they'll enjoy that_. I didn't want to wear Ivan's clothes to see them; it would only confirm their fears. I silently opened the door and slipped out, closing it just as softly. I turned around and my foot connected with something soft; clothes. I looked down to see a pair of jean shorts and a green t-shirt neatly folded on the floor. _Isolde_. I smiled and slipped them on before hurrying through the castle.


	16. A Familiar Taste Of Poison

Chapter 15 – A familiar taste…of poison.

**SebastianPOV**

Those Volturi idiots took to being a vampire much too seriously. Everything in this castle was so dark and cold, not to mention damp. _Why have all this money and live in a basement? _I shook my head as I descended the rotting stairs to the dungeon. I swiftly unlocked the many bolts on the door and stepped inside the sound proof room, flipping on the dim light.

"Housekeeping!" I knocked against the open door.

The two men were on the floor, shirtless. _That should make this easier._ There was enough distance between them that they couldn't touch or help each other no matter how they moved, but they were forced to face one another by the way they were chained. On the floor sat two solid steel plates, each with two eye hooks sticking up out of it. Through each of the hooks ran a strong chain, the entire thing laced with Vervain. At each end of the chain were thick cuffs that encased their wrists. The chain was long enough to allow them to move slightly forward or backward, but made it impossible for them to stand. At various points around the room were work benches, all topped with different play-things for me. Vervain: both the plant itself and mixed with water in spray bottles; guns: loaded with wooden bullets; knives made out of steel and stakes made of wood.

Neither one of them flinched when I walked into the room. Blondie kept his head down while the big guy looked straight at me with hatred in his eyes, his thoughts full of every curse word for me and thoughts of fear and longing for Liliana. He jerked against the chains and hissed as his skin sizzled.

"What the hell is this?" His eyes showed the pain that his face did not.

"Vervain. Liliana never told you?" I scoffed, "Though, I suppose there are a lot of things that she kept from you." I flashed to the other side of the room, lovingly running my hands over the table filled with my trinkets. I watched as Jasper's mind reeled with escape plans. Somehow overpower me and free themselves, find Lily and flee Volterra.

I laughed, picking up a serrated knife. "Your plan won't work, I'm afraid. Did you forget we don't need to breathe? So there would be no rendering me unconscious with your chain wrapped around my neck."

"Edward." Jasper whispered before locking eyes with Emmett. Then he looked up at me, unfazed. His thoughts immediately switched to ungodly country music. I frowned, diving deeper into his mind. He started shouting the lyrics in his head. I gripped the knife and advanced on him, slicing the blade across his back. He barely skipped a beat, singing about some sweet home in Alabama.

"Stop doing that!" I roared, lodging the knife in his shoulder. Finally he faltered for a few seconds before starting up again.

Emmett pulled against the chains. "You okay?"

Jasper nodded, hunched over. I turned to Emmett, listening for his thoughts. Quotes from various movies assaulted my brain. I frowned and grabbed another knife, dipping it in a Vervain solution.

_Oh Veronica Vaughn, so hott, want to touch the hiney. Awhooo!_

"How are you doing this? Keeping me out?" I sneered and stepped up behind him, carving a line down the back of Emmett's arm, watching the blood slowly drip to the floor.

He coughed. "You've never tried living with someone like you, have you? You learn to keep your thoughts to yourself when you live with a telepath."

I groaned, cutting down his other arm, this time even slower, and smiled wickedly as he hissed in pain.

"Do you really think you're going to get away with this?" Jasper roared, struggling against the restraints to try to stand.

"In a word, yes. Three reasons." I stopped by the table, and set the knife down. I put on a pair of thick leather gloves and grabbed the deadly plant.

"One; I'm an Original. In the eyes of Ivan, I can do no wrong. Anything I want, I have. Anything I do, there are no consequences. What I'm doing with you is purely for my enjoyment. The others don't care, nor will they stop me," I moved the greenery just under my nose, shuddering at the scent. I placed a sprig of vervain on Jasper's shoulder before dragging it down to his chest. The skin burned at contact, sizzling as the plant embedded deeper into the skin. He closed his eyes tightly, holding completely still, no show of emotion on his face.

"Who are you being brave for? Certainly not your lovely psychic."

His eyes snapped open but stayed neutral. _Quite impressive for a man in his position_.

I knelt down in front of him, "Oh yes, I know all about her. From her black hair to how her visions work off of decisions. Which brings me to reason two: who, pray tell, do you think is going to save you? Certainly not your little family. Your little princess can't see your future anymore. Not since you changed race, so there will be no saving you from that end."

"You hurt any of them, and I will find a way to end you," Jasper spoke lowly. _Demanding_ _little shit, he is_.

I narrowed my eyes, "I'd be more worried about your _own_ well-being if I were you." I smashed the other twig into this other shoulder, and it stuck in place in his skin.

He gritted his teeth, a small strangled sound escaping his throat.

"Leave him be!" Emmett yelled, clanking the chains as he desperately tried to get closer.

"Don't you worry, your time is coming. Would you like to know what kind of pain he is in? Sure can't tell by looking at him, can you?"

**EmPOV**

The blood stopped flowing but my skin wouldn't heal. It itched like crazy, so I started rubbing my elbow against my ribs, not getting any sort of relief. I took a deep breath, pulling against the chains with all my strength. Nothing. _Where the hell did they get this shit? Dungeons R Us?_

"You hurt any of them and I will find a way to end you." My brother said in that eerily calm voice of his. I almost smiled. Anything he says, he means to the end of time.

"I'd be more worried about your own well-being if I were you." He opened his gloved hand and clapped it on Jasper's shoulder. The skin immediately blistered and burned.

_No! _

Jasper swallowed a scream, only letting out a bit of noise.

I yanked against the chains, "Leave him be!"

He stepped away from Jasper. "Don't you worry, your time is coming. Would you like to know what kind of pain he is in? Sure can't tell by looking at him, can you?"

I glanced over at Jasper. He sank back on his haunches, his head bowed and chest heaving. His skin burning an angry red.

"Lily," I said softly. "What are you doing with Lily?"

"I was beginning to wonder when you were going to bring her up." He removed the gloves, grabbing a handful of small wooden stakes. "That brings me to my third reason, lest we forget what lesson we're on. Liliana. She is neither a prisoner nor one of us."

I watched him closely as he twirled one of the stakes in his palm and he slowly made his way over to me. With a flick of his wrist, one embedded itself in my forearm. Pain exploded up my arm, setting the surrounding nerve-endings on fire. At vampire speed, he speared my other arm. I gritted my teeth and bit my tongue. _Anything but give him the satisfaction that he caused me pain_.

He tapped the remaining stakes against his palm. "Beautiful, deceitful Liliana. Are you ready for story-time? Believe me when I say this is nothing but the truth, and the fact that she has kept this from you makes it that much sweeter."

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block myself from the pain. I pictured Lily in our home in Tennessee. Lily with blood dripping down her chin right after we killed Bella's twin from the club. Lily wearing one of her corsets, lying on my bed waiting for me. Lily-

"She's quite a looker, isn't she?" Sebastian smiled.

_Fuck! I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Means no_.

He frowned, pulling a chair into the middle of the room, right in front of us. He sat down, tapping his finger against his chin. "Where to start? As I'm sure you know, those Volturi clowns thought they ruled the vampire world. Ivan finally got fed up with them and came up with a plan to take them over. He wanted the strongest, most talented fighters that he could find, so naturally, he sent Liliana to find him soldiers in return for her freedom." The puzzled look on my face led him to explain what I already knew.

"Freedom from Giovanni or Salome ever finding her again. She played her part well and brought us thirteen men; all of them with lust in their eyes, even some with love, and all willing to die for her. The last place we sent her to recruit was the northwest of the United States. I believe you can do the math from there."

"No. You're lying. Lily wouldn't do that. Not to us." I shook my head.

"Wouldn't she? Isn't the fact that she has no remorse that much more of a turn on? You've seen yourself she's not afraid to kill, betray. What makes you any different from the rest she led on? Liliana thinks of herself first and foremost."

"I don't believe it. You're full of shit." I spat at him. "Jazz, he's lying, don't listen to him."

Sebastian kept feeding us lie after lie about Lily and the whole reason she came to us in the first place. _Soldiers for some army to take over Volturi_. My brother sighed and looked up at me. When I saw Jasper's face, I died inside. Jasper looked like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and cut into a million tiny pieces, then boiled and eaten. Heartbroken agony didn't even begin to describe the emotions I felt emanating from him, and I knew only one thing could make him feel that way. _Sincerity_. Jasper could tell that this man was telling the truth. That truth was that we were only pawns in some stupid game Lily had always been playing. She never truly loved me. Everything was a lie. _Everything_. Every touch, every smile, every word. Every fucking thing. What's the point of living if the best thing of your life was a lie? There isn't one. I had nothing left to live for.

**SebastianPOV**

I was thoroughly enjoying the torment these boys were suffering. And for it to be both at my own hand, and that of someone they love? Well it was poetic in a way. I picked up the gun, having saved it for last, and aimed at Jasper's head, wondering if he would heal from a head wound. I pulled back the hammer and had just placed my finger on the trigger when I heard it. It was faint, these walls having been decently soundproofed, but I could hear yelling. And I knew it wasn't good. _Ivan._ I set the gun down on the bench just inside the door and tore out of the room, not bothering to lock it, and scaled the wall of the winding staircase rather than climbing the stairs. Just as I made it to the boss' suite, I was thrown backwards from the door flying off its hinges.

Ivan stood in the doorway, eyes black, veins protruding more than I'd ever seen them, fangs hanging down past his bottom lip, even with his mouth open. I was truly terrified for the first time in a long time. Before I could even think to ask what happened, I registered the state of disarray his room was in, and also who I didn't see anywhere.

"FIND HER!" he roared.

**LPOV**

I broke the unlocked door off its hinges and gasped at the sight before me.

"Oh my God!" Emmett and Jasper were both on their knees, shackled to the wall. The chains could have easily been broken, so either they had been poisoned, or they were compelled to stay this way. Upon closer inspection, I could see that they both had wounds that refused to heal, which could only mean they were wooden bullets. I caressed Emmett's face. The blood around the wounds licked at my hand like a flame. _Vervain_.

"Lily?" he groaned.

"Shush baby, don't speak. I'm going to get you out of here, I promise." I moved to Jasper, running my hand over his blood encrusted hair. I eyed the chains, wondering how long it would take me to break them and then get the boys out of there.

"Without me knowing, I suppose." I whirled around to find Ivan leaning against the doorway, his shirt undone. He walked slowly towards us. Instinctively, I stepped in front of the boys, guarding them. I had thought I'd heard something about halfway down the elevator but it was too far for even my ears to pick up. I knew then that it had been Ivan discovering my absence.

"You may have gotten away with this if you weren't so damn eager! Hell, a week or two more and I might have let your pets live, just to please you. As it is, I saw straight through you, Liliana." He breathed my name the same way he had done just a short time ago. Before I saw him move, I felt the cold of the wall against my back. He held me in place by my neck. Ivan leaned in close, breathing me in.

"You betrayed me not once but twice. I have killed for nothing!" he scoffed. "I gave you freedom and you threw it away for these imbeciles!" He grabbed a gun from the table nearest us and shot Jasper.

I screamed, "_NO_!" Jasper cried out as the bullet lodged into his shoulder.

"Ivan, please?! They've done nothing! Kill me if you must but leave them be, please?!"

"After all these years of running, you would welcome death, wouldn't you?" He ran the tip of the gun over my cheek, the last wisps of vervain searing the skin.

"Please?" I whispered, tears dripping down my cheeks.

"That would be much too easy, Liliana. No, you need to remember not to cross me again. You will choose who to save."

"But, I..." He turned and shot Emmett.

"No!" I jerked against him.

"Choose, Liliana! Choose or I will end them both and you will have to live with the fact that you killed two innocent men who loved and trusted you. Choose!" He put another bullet in Jasper's leg. He barely groaned at the new wound; he was already in so much pain. I looked at my boys, bloody and wounded. And not just on the surface, but in their hearts as well. Ivan sighed and shot Emmett again.

"Stop!" I screamed. "Stop!"

"I have all the time in the world, Liliana, but they do not. I'm getting closer and closer to their hearts. Soon, my hand may just slip." I whimpered as the tears freely flowed.

"Fine. Ivan…please stop hurting them? I've made my decision." I paused, pointing to the man on his knees. "Let him go."

FIN


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue – _Finale_.

Warm breath fanned across my back, leaving goose-bumps on my flesh. I didn't open my eyes, but instead rolled on top of her and buried my face in her neck, inhaling as much of her perfect scent as possible. Freedom was liberating; it felt almost as good as being inside my Lily. With that thought, I reached between us to remove her underwear. When my hand touched her bare skin, already slick with desire for me, I smiled and finally opened my eyes.

The grey orbs staring back at me were nothing short of wonderful: they were a unique color and had a slight lilt at each corner, giving them the appearance of cat eyes. My fingers rubbed and probed and before long Lily was writhing underneath me, trying to slide down those last few centimeters to connect her body with mine.

I kissed her on the mouth, drawing a moan from deep in her chest. As her lips parted for my tongue, I pressed into her center, reigning in my already impending release. Everything about this woman was a wet dream: her mouth worked wonders on my tongue, nicking me a few times from her half-exposed fangs; her fingernails dug into the flesh of my back, drawing thin lines of blood; and her heated core enveloped my dick in softness and tightness and, _ugh_.

She was perfect.

She pulled her mouth from mine and threw her head back to moan loudly as I increased my pace, working harder and faster to bring her the release she deserved. The sounds our bodies made as they slammed against each other sounded like they would break normal bones; tear normal skin. I never disliked my being a vampire, but now I relished in it. I loved the strength and the abnormal intensity of every emotion and sensation.

Lily used her superior strength to flip us over and she bounced up and down on my cock like she was riding in a rodeo. I wasn't used to anyone being stronger than me, and I thrust up into her, matching her rhythm thrust for thrust. My body screamed at me to reclaim dominance and show her who was in charge, but as she slowly slid up and down my length, I couldn't think hard enough to move.

Finally, she allowed herself to fall sideways and I moved to the other side of her, spooning her close to me as I entered her from behind. It was times like this, when she faced away from me as I made love to her, that I allowed my mind to wander for a moment or two. I knew damn well that she deserved my full attention, but I couldn't help the worry that washed over me when I knew she wasn't looking. At that moment I realized it was foolish to think she wouldn't notice my abrupt change in mood.

She pulled off of me and pushed me flat onto my back. She reseated herself above me and sank down, sheathing my entire length inside her. She leaned forward, bracing herself on my shoulders, and started to move up and down at vampire speed. She whispered sweet nothings into my ear as my hands left angry marks on her hips.

"May I?" She asked. In my state of pure pleasure, I had no idea to what she was referring, but it didn't matter.

"Yes, ma'am." I answered.

She picked her hips up until only the tip of my member was inside her, dropped fang, and slammed her hips back down at the same time she sunk her sharp fangs into my neck. I cried out, in both pain and pleasure, before lifting her hips back up off me and thrusting into her at full force. She was trying to distract me, and it was working beautifully. I flipped us back over, being careful not to dislodge her fangs from my neck, and began pounding into her mercilessly; using her in a way I shouldn't.

She bit down on my jugular even harder and I felt her tense under my touch. I tweaked both her nipples, gently rolling them between my fingers, and watched her abdominal muscles clench, just waiting to release. Palming her left breast and continuing with my frantic pace of thrusting, I leaned down and took her perfect right nipple into my mouth and sucked it. My free hand moved fluidly to where we were joined and I used my thumb to rub her clit, causing her to let go of my neck and cry out.

I could feel my orgasm building; it was just behind a thin door, waiting to come out and play. I pinched her sensitive bundle of nerves and bit down on her nipple, causing her to tense up around me and pull me into my release. Hers followed shortly after, my gentle thrusts through my orgasm having been enough to pull her over the edge. I lay down on top of her, bracing most of my weight on my forearms, and kissed her as sweetly as I could to show her how thankful I was.

"I love you, Lily-girl."

She smiled and scrunched up her nose at me. "I love you too, baby. But even as much as you love me, I don't think you're going to like what I have to say next," I tensed, waiting calmly for her words. "I think you need to call him."

Our little condo on the beach had done wonders to improve Lily's mood, even if I'd rather be home, grieving with my family. It was for this reason that I was so hesitant to call. Spain was amazing; the waters were calm, the weather was warm, and the women were beautiful. But when you spend the better part of your life avoiding the sun, the beach, and human women altogether, those things provided little comfort for tragedy. I loved it here, in what felt like my first real home with Lily. But the bigger part of me felt guilty for finding any joy in life at all when…my brother…could feel nothing.

A quietly murmured 'hello' was the only greeting I received from my surrogate father.

"Have you heard from her at all?" Carlisle was silent on the other end of the line. I heard him take a shaky breath before exhaling slowly. His voice was thick when he finally answered.

"No, son. Not a word." I let out the hopeful breath I had been holding, feeling the misery settle back in. I couldn't help but feel like I was responsible for my family's suffering. If I had just stayed with them, I could have protected them. I could have kept them all together. Instead, Edward and Bella had left for college somewhere in Massachusetts, and Esme and Carlisle were left with no one. We all tried to keep in contact over the phone and through e-mail; but two of us were unreachable. _Permanently._

Lily's hand brushed the back of my neck, tickling me. I looked up at her and she motioned with her hand for the phone. "Hold on, Carlisle. Lily wants to talk to you."

Once she had the phone she moved outside, indicating she wanted privacy. I put on my noise-cancelling Bose headphones and tried to drown out the words of her phone call, the sound of the ocean just steps away, and the awful memories from that dungeon_. The pain of the Vervain-soaked bullets, each feeling like another stake driven through my flesh; the breaking of my bones, over and over again_. Every time I would heal from one wound, another would be inflicted. The physical torture was some of the greatest pain I had felt since my transformation into a Stone vampire; but it was the emotional torment I underwent that hurt me the most.

Sebastian had made it very clear what my brother and I were to Lily, and why she had even bothered with us in the first place. Once she freed me, I had begged her to tell me the truth, and she did; reiterating everything that asshole had said. She admitted to working for Ivan in the beginning, bringing him soldiers and taking his orders, and his money. She admitted that I was one of the few she felt bad about taking, and then once she got to know me, she couldn't do what had been asked of her.

I understood all at once what that felt like. I was usually good at reading people, but had always been a horrible judge of character. The people I had loved in my past were all wrong for me, and yet I still did stupid things for them that I would never choose to repeat. When I took off the headphones, I couldn't help but hear what Lily was saying to Carlisle.

I knew better than to get my hopes up, but I still felt the stirring of butterflies in my stomach when I heard the love of my existence say, "I'll find her Carlisle. I swear I will. I'll pack up this house right now and spend what's left of my life searching for her. You know I…" She was cut off by Carlisle's sobs.

It was harder to hear him through the phone, and he was crying hysterically now; but I could still make out his words and Esme's quiet moans of grief in the background.

"She doesn't want to be found, Lily! She left because she feels like she has nothing left to live for. I have been through this with Edward; there will be no changing her mind until either she gets what she wants or she finds another reason to go on. Until then, I can't speak to you anymore. I know deep down that this is not your fault, but I have to blame someone. Esme has to have some form of closure."

"I completely understand, Carlisle." Now Lily's voice was choked up. "Does that include…?"

"Yes," Carlisle interrupted. "It does include him. Please give the phone back? Goodbye, Liliana."

"Goodbye, old friend." I heard the sniffle in her voice. A second later she walked in the front door, blood streaming down her cheeks and falling onto her white dress, and tossed the phone in my lap.

"Carlisle?" My voice shook, afraid of what I knew was coming.

"I'm sorry son, but I just can't. If you were here you would know exactly how I feel and you would understand. I'm so, so sorry that I let this happen to us. Please take care of yourself, and Lily? I will let you know if Rosalie comes home. Would you give the phone to Emmett? Esme would like to…no. You know what? Tell Emmett thank you for abandoning my first daughter and breaking her heart. Goodbye, Jasper."

_Click._

"This isn't your fault. This is my fault." Her words did little to soothe me, and the irreplaceable rug below me was ruined as my blood dripped from my chin. I knew it wasn't my fault; I knew it was her doing. But I loved her anyway, and I understood what fear for your life could make you do. I knew better than anyone what a false lover with an iron fist could do to a person's being. I had been completely broken when Alice found me, and then again when Lily did, if only in a different way. I couldn't fault her for taking me, if that's what she was ordered to do.

However, I could completely fault myself for leaving; for giving up on my family of over five decades, for letting my brother walk away from Rosalie without making things right like I had with Alice. I had been so caught up in my own happiness and excitement that I never thought about what would happen to the family without us, after Alice and I had made peace. She knew that we were never meant to be together forever. "Meant to be, but never meant to last." She had always said that; always made sure I would be ready for the day that Fate would separate us.

_But what about Emmett?_

Anyone could have seen the love in his eyes when he looked at Rosalie. And even as many times in a day as she smacked him on the back of the head, Rosalie could only ever be warm and caring toward Emmett. I knew that she also took him for granted and made him feel unwanted at times, but none of that was an excuse or a justifiable reason to leave her. So that left me wondering why Emmett had just up and left, without ever explaining why to Rose.

My heart ached for my sister. For my brother. For my family. I feared it would never be whole again.

"Jasper, why do you grieve this way? If Emmett had been given the choice, instead of me, I know he would have sacrificed himself to save you and me. I know I hurt you by lying to you, and by what I did to Emmett. But you have to know I only did those things to save us both, and to cement our future together. He would have understood…I mean…he understands."

I still felt like every negative thing that had happened to my family could have been prevented had I just stayed with them and continued to be a faithful husband to Alice. _Had Alice seen this?_ Surely she would have warned us, Emmett at least, of this gruesome fate.

"How am I supposed to believe that, Lily? How can you sit here and tell me that my dead brother understands why you killed him?" I felt the pain rush through Lily at my words, and it felt like a knife was stuck in my chest when her pain coupled with my own grief. She immediately took her hands from my face and sat back on her haunches, leaning away from me. Her eyes were wide, like she'd just been slapped.

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean it the way it must have sounded. I didn't mean to imply it was you who killed him; I just have a hard time figuring how you think…he…understands that the woman he loved chose his own brother over his survival.

"But you might be right about one thing: if it were my decision, you'd be with Em…him…right now, and I'd be long gone. So maybe he does understand." I stumbled twice over Emmett's name; it still hurt like Vervain to say it out loud.

"I know that, baby. But, Jazz? You have to believe me when I say that the decision wasn't easy for me. I had been thinking for awhile already about possibly separating the three of us; maybe sending Emmett back to Rose as a new man, ready to call her on her bullshit and help her heal. Actually, I kind of decided on the night you were kidnapped that I was going to start distancing myself from him. I wanted to be with you, Jasper, and only you. I want to be yours in every way humanly and inhumanly possible." She cast her eyes down to the floor while my hopes sailed.

I dug into the left front pocket of my jeans and retrieved the trinket that had been stored there for the past three weeks since we'd come to Palma. I hid the jewelry inside my hand and led Lily outside onto the veranda. She stared out at the ocean, her hair blowing back away from her face, and I watched her. Her skin had almost started to tan since she'd been spending so much time in the sun.

The sun was starting to set, and the sky above us turned an ominous purple color before the clouds shed a light rain. The sun continued to shine, and Lily's freckles practically jumped off her skin, accenting the perfection of her skin tone. My heart beat irregularly, and it ached. _Oh it ached so badly_. I missed Emmett and Rose, I missed Edward and Bella, I missed my mom and dad and I even missed Alice, as pesky as she could be.

I decided right then and there that I had to make the bond I shared with Lily permanent. I had to tie myself down to this little piece of heaven on earth so that I could begin to heal, again. Lily wasn't much for a grand gesture, so I just lightly tugged on her arm so she would turn to me and I dropped down to one knee.

"Liliana Della Francesca, you have saved my life in so many more ways than one. You made me see light again for the first time and you made my heart beat again. You changed me and you turned me into the man I should be; the man I've always wanted to be. I cannot imagine a world where you do not exist, or a life without you in it. Would you please do me the exquisite honor of becoming my wife?"

Though it wasn't strictly necessary, I began to worry when she stopped breathing. Then, out of nowhere, the ring was out of my hands, on her finger, and I was on my back with her straddling me. "Yes! Yes, Jasper! I…you…yes! I thought you were going to leave me!"

She laughed, which caused her core to press to my groin, and it did funny things to my body. Just as I was about to tear off her ruined and bloody dress, my phone rang. I had left it on the coffee table, and it was in my line of sight, but just a bit out of reach. Lily was up and back with it before I had time to stand. She looked confusedly at the outer screen before tossing it to me.

"I don't know that number, but the area code is definitely not from America." My slow heart lurched in my chest, hoping beyond all hope that it was Rosalie calling.

"Hello?" I asked timidly.

"_Bonjour, mon cher. Avez-vous me manquer_?" I smiled at the sound of Alice's voice; though I had no idea was she was saying. "_Parce que je ne vous manqué. J'ai trouve un nouvel amour a Paris!_"

"Oh, Alice. You know I don't speak French. I don't understand a word of what you just said." Her tinkling laughter warmed me in a strange way; it was like hearing from someone who was long lost.

"I asked if you missed me? And then I explained that I don't miss you because I found a new love in Paris. The city itself is beautiful, Jazz, but there's a new man in my life. His name is Remi and he lights up my world brighter than the Eiffel Tower at night. But enough about me…how are you?! And Lily? And Emmett?"

Alice was not a short-winded woman. So when she abruptly stopped speaking and her breath came hard and fast over the phone, I knew she was having a vision.

"Dear God, Jazz. I haven't had my own future disappear on me since you first contemplated the idea of leaving with Lily! What's happened? Where is Em..?" Her voice disappeared again, and I tried to think of what I could say to her that she wasn't already seeing.

"Don't speak," she whispered. "Anything you say now makes it all disappear. Bella, Esme, Remi, everyone. All their futures disappear if you speak. It's not the right time, now. Later. Much, _much_ later. I will let you know when it's time. Until then, Jazzy. _Au revoir._"

**THE END. Really this time.**


	18. Prologue

Some people say I died of heartbreak, but that's not entirely true. My heart surely broke, but I was killed by an unimaginable betrayal and forced to leave the life of Liliana Della Francesca behind. Allow me start from the beginning. I lived in Greece with my peasant family. There was my beautiful mother Thea, my less-than-loving father Christos and two brothers; Markus and Theseus. At the age of twenty, my family was desperate to marry me off in order for our family to finally be wealthy. I only wanted the best for my family but I also wanted to marry for love, not just money like many girls do. As it was, my heart was set on one man. Giovanni. He was everything I could dream of and more with beautiful dark hair and bright brown eyes. He was wealthy so, naturally, my family happily approved. One day I went into town with my basket of eggs to sell to anyone who came in my path.

"Eggs! One drachma! Eggs for sale!" I called out as I entered the town square. People milled about selling their own products; no one was paying attention to my plea. I strolled around the square, looking at all the beautiful fabrics I would never afford to wear. Not until I married someone rich enough, that is. How was I supposed to land a gentleman if not by the beautiful dresses I could make with those fabrics? I was terribly shy and most people in the village looked down on my family. It was a cruel cycle.

"How many do you have there?" A deep voice asked. I jumped as I turned towards the silky tone. It was him. I lost all coherent thought looking up at Giovanni, the man of my dreams and bane of my existence.

"Forgive me, what did you inquire?" I asked softly.

He chuckled. "You are selling eggs, yes? How many within your basket?"

"Oh," my cheeks flushed with red as my eyes cast down. "I believe there are 32."

He stood there for a moment, a finger on his chin. "How about I give you fifty drachmas for the whole lot so you can take the rest of the day off and spend some time with me."

That was the start of our romance. We courted for a dreadfully long time, if you could call it that. Giovanni was quite an unconventional man. I thought for sure we would be married within weeks of our first meeting but instead our relationship lasted years. Five gloriously happy years. It was unheard of in our town but I knew I wanted to be with him and was willing to do what was asked of me. I was adjusting the folds of my dress after our intimate time together when Giovanni heaved a heavy sigh.

"Liliana, my sweetness, I must ask you something."

My heart lurched and I pressed my dress more quickly. _Finally he is asking me to be his wife!_

"Yes, my love. Anything." I turned towards him, desperately trying to suppress my small smile.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

I blinked. _Was that his question?_ "Of course I do. Is something the matter?"

Without another word, he took ahold of my wrists and led me to the bench at the end of the bed. "I must tell you something Liliana, and I beg you to listen until I am done. I will explain everything, I promise you."

I could only nod my head, my heart pounding erratically in my corset restricted chest.

"I'm afraid I may have been leading you on all this time. The truth is that I am already wedded to a beautiful bride who is the love of my life. What you and I have is an absolute wonder, Liliana, and I would rather not give you up. But unfortunately, my wife has learned of my attachment to you and is very upset. If I do not rid of you, she will surely have you killed."

I tore my wrists from his grip and fled to the other side of the room, unable to comprehend what was just said. I couldn't bear to look at the bed we had shared ourselves in, the one I thought for certain would be our marriage bed. I was a fool for so long. Tears pricked at my eyes.

"How could you put me through this? I thought we were meant to be Giovanni! You and I were to be a family. I have spent years at your side and you let me and my family believe…" I trailed off unable to speak, the tears finally cascading down my cheeks.

He slowly stood and stepped closer to me. I matched his pace, backing up a few steps. "There is something else I must tell you."

"Please don't!" I cried. "I cannot bear it!" I headed hastily for the door. In a second, he was in front of me, blocking the way. I gasped.

"I can protect you from her. I can make you like me. I am a vampire, Liliana." Giovanni said lowly.

"You are a what?" Instinct kicked in and I was afraid, my breaths coming quicker then, even though I had never heard of such a thing. _What could he possibly be talking about?_

"I asked if you trusted me because I want you to know that I am doing this to protect you. Do not be frightened." Before I could respond, dark lines appeared around his eyes as his mouth opened, showing elongated and sharpened canines. I screamed. He took me in his arms, my back to his chest, and his lips next to my ear. He lifted one arm to his face and then attached the wrist to my mouth, warmth seeping from his skin. Blood. I bucked against him but he held me fast in his grip, forcing the metallic tasting liquid into my mouth and down my throat. I coughed and sputtered, tears streaming down my face.

"You will be free to live." Giovanni whispered in my ear. He then placed his hands around my head and swiftly twisted. Everything went black.

I woke up about a day later, disoriented, in a grassy field outside of town. My head pounded as I gasped for air. Slowly, I sat up. I shielded my eyes in the sunlight; everything was so bright and incredibly loud. And smelly. I kicked away from a pile of manure, and stumbled to my feet. Every sense seemed to be at its most heightened state. I inspected myself as I headed in the direction I hoped would lead me home. Dribbles of dried blood covered the front of the dress and I knew, under no circumstances may I show myself like this. I kept to the fields until I recognized I was close to home. My mother saw me first.

"Liliana! Where have you been child? We were so worried! What has happened to you?" she spoke a mile a minute while she looked me over and lead me into the house.

"I-I'm not sure. I'm okay, this is just animal blood. I was helping the butcher load up his shop." I answered freely. The lies fell from my lips before I even knew what I was saying. Never had I lied to my parents before. What was happening to me? Suddenly my head filled with a thundering rhythmic roar. I clutched my head as I followed my mother to the kitchen.

"Go on to bed, you look awful. Change from that dress, I'm not sure those stains will come clean." She gently pushed me down the short hallway. I stumbled into my room, and quickly closed the door. It almost splintered from its place in the wall and a small hinge was just about severed completely. I frowned as I grabbed the ribbon at the back of my dress and pulled. The tan fabric tore away from the dress. I gasped and dropped it to the floor. With my thumb and forefinger, I delicately took hold of my sleeve and ever so gently pulled. The clothing came apart like nothing. I shook my head. _It is an old dress. _I did my best to remove the dress in one piece but every patchwork of fabric I touched crumbled away. I kicked the remnants of the dress under the bed, and heard it thump against the back wall. Once I stripped down to nothing, I slid into bed pulling the covers over my head. This must be a bad dream. Sometime I will wake up, Giovanni will confess his undying love for me, and everything will be back to normal. A knock sounded at the door, bringing me out of my thoughts. I pulled the quilts down and gasped, my fingers had gone through them when I climbed into bed. I quickly shook my hands free.

"Yes," my voice was raspy. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Please come in."

The door opened with a loud grinding creak and my brother entered, carrying a bowl of steaming soup. Oh how I loved my mothers' cooking, always perfect.

"Mother said you weren't feeling well and I should tend to you."

I smiled, "Thank you Markus. I do appreciate it. I do not know what has come over me."

He set the bowl in the lap and turned to leave. I glanced at the crumpled door to the delicate ceramic spoon and bowl on top of me, unsure if I trusted myself.

"Markus, could you feed me? I'm afraid I don't any strength at the moment," I lied.

"Of course," he stopped and sat next to me on the small bed. I carefully sat up, making sure the blankets covered me. He took the bowl in his hand and scooped the mixture into the spoon, and held it out for me. I carefully sipped the liquid down. My face immediately puckered. Much too salty! He fed me another spoonful and again I had the same reaction. I held my hand in front of my face, protesting the third bite.

"No more," I shook my head. "It's much too salty for my taste. I think mother dumped the whole sack of salt in without looking."

Markus gingerly tried a bite and shook his head. "It tastes fine to me sister. I cannot taste much salt."

I was so hungry but afraid to try anything else. My thoughts skipped to the night before. The last thing I ate was Giovanni's blood. My stomach growled and once again my ears tuned into a rhythmic roar. My eyes attached themselves to Markus's neck, barely able to see his veins pulsing just under the skin. Something washed over me and I lunged at my brother, my teeth seeking purchase in his throat. Blood filled my mouth and I greedily gulped it down. Markus screamed and pushed me away. I screamed along with him.

"Markus I am terribly sorry! Please forgive me! Please don't speak of this to anyone. I am so sorry!" I pleaded as I grabbed his hand and searched his face.

"Okay," he replied in a monotone voice. "I won't speak of this to anyone." His eyes widened in almost a dreamlike state.

"Really? You won't? Oh thank you!" I pulled him in for a hug. "I am so sorry, I will never hurt you again. You must go clean up before anyone notices." I checked him over and found blood still dripping from two puncture marks on his skin.

Markus nodded before leaving the room. The forgotten soup was all over the floor. My stomach settled into a soft growl. All at once, the consequences of my actions rained down on me. _What have I done? _I could have killed him like Giovanni tried to kill me. I attacked my own brother and drank his blood! I wanted to be sick, and vomit it all back up but my stomach had finally calmed. I clamped my hands over my mouth as I screamed. Never once had I wanted to harm anyone in my family and now this? I wiped off my mouth, and felt something foreign brush against the inside of my lips. I gingerly touched my front teeth, slowly feeling each tooth until I came upon one of my canines. They were larger and longer than they used to be. I pressed my thumb against the tip of one and felt it pierce my skin. Giovanni's horribly twisted face flashed in my mind. I am becoming like him. A vampire. I sucked the seeping blood from my thumb and stood, careful of the soup on the ground. _I refuse to live my life hurting the ones I love. _I grabbed one of my favorite dresses and with the utmost care, I very gently slid it on and tied the ribbons. Taking one last look at my bedroom, I quietly crept through the house even though I knew everyone to be outside. I grabbed one of my fathers' knives from his dresser and sheathed it within the folds of my dress. Once outside I ran as fast as I could towards the woods. I was in the middle of the trees in mere seconds when before it had taken more than a few minutes. I wasn't even winded. I pulled the knife out and sat down, contemplating.

I stared at the knife sitting so innocently in the grass. After some time, I snatched the knife and held it to my throat. _I cannot live like this._ I put pressure on the blade and felt a sharp pinch on my neck. I sighed and pulled the knife away, tiny drops of blood on the tip. _Just do it. Be done with this life. Everything will return to normal once I leave this earth. _I sighed and pressed the knife to my throat once more. I sliced deeply across my slim neck. Blood coursed down my throat. I couldn't breathe. I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out. Everything faded to black. _Mother please forgive me. _

I woke up as the sun was just disappearing behind the mountains. I quickly assessed myself and touched my throat. No wound to speak of and yet the knife was covered in my blood. I sighed in defeat realizing my plan didn't work. _I cannot be killed. _My eyes adjusted to the dimming light and I continued to see perfectly clear. I sat still for a long time, oblivious as to what to do. Do I make believe that everything is alright and continue to live my life with my family? Is that even possible? Giovanni somehow managed it. But then again, he has us all fooled. Never again will I be fooled by a man_. I will not be naïve._ The moon rose to the middle of the sky as I sat. My stomach growled. I threw my arms over my midsection, begging it to be quiet. Not again! I cannot bear it! The rhythmic roar returned, softer this time. A bush next to me shivered slightly and out jumped a small brown rabbit. My hunger soared. That must be where one of the places the dull roar was coming from. Instincts took over and I quickly grabbed the rabbit, holding the soft thing in front of me. I froze. Its little eyes blinked at me as its nose quivered. I couldn't do it. I bit my lip and set the bunny down, letting it scamper away. I didn't move the rest of the night. Day came and went and still I sat. Unable to fully live but unable to die. By this time, my stomach was screaming for more blood. A fox trotted right in front of me, oblivious to its surroundings. I snatched the red haired animal and my canines lengthened in my mouth as I felt small pings around my eyes.

"Forgive me," I whispered and sunk my fangs into the soft flesh of the shoulder, pulling in as much blood I could until there was no more. It didn't taste as good as my brothers' blood. That thought itself made me sick. I held the small animal in my arms, watching the life pass from its eyes. Quickly, I dug a hole in the ground and buried the fox. It is just a means of survival. If I hadn't killed it, surely a bigger predator would have, I convinced myself. I gathered my wits and stood up. I want to see my family one last time before I live a life in solitude. It must be the only way I can live. I slipped my dress inside out to cover the blood and headed for town at daybreak. As I neared the village, I overheard two women at the well as they filled up their buckets.

"Did you hear the latest about the Della Francesca family?"

"No, did something else happen?"

The first woman lowered her voice, careful not to be overheard. "You must already know that the daughter went crazy and disappeared," she whispered. The other woman nodded. "As if that wasn't bad enough, now the eldest son was killed my some animal. I heard he was horribly mangled. Of course the men won't say anything beyond that about it. 'Not for women's ears' they said…" The woman trailed off.

I gasped. _Theseus._ Instinct told me it was Giovanni's wife taking out her revenge since her husband didn't 'rid of me' completely like he said he would. I was still alive in a way. _How did she know?_ I couldn't quite explain the feeling, but somehow I knew it to be true. Tears dripped from my eyes onto my dress. Red. My tears were made of blood now. Disgusted, I wiped them off my dress as best as I could. _I'm a monster and I cannot put my family in danger anymore._ As I walked through the woods to the next village, I came up with a plan to get away from this place; I would save my family by leading Salome away from them. I would change my name and reinvent myself to be whoever I wanted. I would make sure I couldn't be traced to that town and, more importantly, to Giovanni or my family. _No one else should have to die because of me._ When I came upon a new town, sun had just set and families were settling into bed for the night. With my newfound silent steps, I pillaged a few houses for money and clothes before moving on.

Only when I was on the ferry to England did I feel like I could breathe. I handed the boat master my ticket.

"Name?" he asked to verify from his list.

"Anne Cuthridge." I answered as sure as I could.

He nodded me through.

_I am safe. For now._

I kept my head down, my eyes scanning. _She could be anywhere at any time._ I knew my life would not be easy from here. I knew there would be running, and fear, and maybe even more heartbreak. But, I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that what I had done was the right thing. I knew this because I had done it for love. A velvet voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Hello, Miss Cuthridge." Hands-down the most attractive man I had ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on. As quickly as my voice would allow, I addressed him.

"I'm sorry, sir; do I know you?" He smiled then, cheeks spread wide and his eyes crinkling. _Beautiful._

"My apologies, Liliana; we haven't met yet. My name is Ivan."


End file.
